Home is in your arms
by here4rizzles
Summary: Sequel to 'Love makes a family'. Jane and Maura and their adopted teenage daughter, building a loving family. "A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." - Agatha Christie
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Mom! Do we have any aspirin or something?" Riley called to her mother in the living room as she came downstairs and started looking through the cabinets in the kitchen.

"Why? What do you need?" Maura asked, looking over her shoulder at her almost 15-year old daughter.

"Something to stop these awful cramps that make my stomach feel like a warzone." Riley opened a drawer and roamed through the contents. "Can I have these… Ibu-… Ibuprofen?"

"No, that works as an anticoagulant. There's Feminax in the cabinet in the upstairs bathroom." Maura put her laptop on the coffee table in front of her and stood up from the couch. She walked towards the kitchen and kissed Riley's temple. "I'll get some for you."

Riley smiled and accepted another kiss on her cheek before Maura walked upstairs to get her daughter some painkillers. When she reached the bathroom, she saw her wife standing in front of the mirror, tying her hair in a loose ponytail, as she got ready for a Saturday of solving murders.

"Hello, gorgeous." Maura greeted her wife, admiring her stunning detective as she cupped her face to kiss her lips.

Jane hummed and happily deepened the loving kiss. She wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and pulled her close, tracing Maura's soft lips with her tongue. She moaned slightly into the kiss before they broke it, lightly panting for air. "Hmmm, now I want to stay home."

Maura laughed and kissed the corner of Jane's mouth before turning to open the medicine-drawer. Jane grabbed her jacket from the dresser and put it on. "What's wrong?" She asked, looking at Maura browsing through different boxes of painkillers.

"Riley has period cramps." She answered as she got out the box she was looking for, along with an empty warm-water bottle. "They've been rather bad lately, we should get her something better for it."

Jane answered with an agreeing hum and kissed Maura's lips before following her downstairs. "What time will you be home?" Maura asked as they reached the kitchen.

"I don't know, depends on the suspect." Jane answered while she rubbed her daughter's back as she was heating up water for some tea, her body slightly bending over to try and relieve the pain. Jane sighed and kissed Riley's cheek. "If we can bring her in, I'll probably be stuck in interrogation for a while."

Maura pouted slightly and accepted one last, loving kiss. "Good luck." She said with a sweet smile.

Jane smiled and turned to wrap an arm around Riley's shoulders. "Take those pills, they work like magic."

"I will." Riley smiled and accepted a sweet hug from the brunette. "Go kick ass."

"Always." Jane chuckled and grabbed her car keys from the kitchen counter, kissed her wife again and got out of the door, saying a last, way too dramatic goodbye.

Maura smiled lovingly and grabbed a glass of water for her daughter. "Here, honey. It'll get better soon."

Riley gratefully took the small pills and finished making her tea while Maura filled the warm-water bottle. She wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulders and led her towards the couch. "How about we put on a movie?" Maura asked softly.

"Can I pick which one?" Riley asked with a smile, referring to two nights ago when Maura made them watch a rather boring documentary.

Maura laughed and kissed Riley's cheek before sitting down on the couch. "Yes, you can." She handed her daughter the remote control and relaxed against the back of the couch, bringing Riley with her in her arms.

Riley smiled and flipped thought the channels while she sipped her hot tea, tucking her feet up on the couch as she snuggled closely in her mother's arms. Maura rubbed her upper arm and was grateful to feel that Riley had finally started gaining some weight. She wasn't just skin over bones anymore and she started developing some beautiful, much needed curves.

Riley was turning 15 in a few weeks and she had been making a lot of progress. Her past haunted her like always, but she did really well in therapy and she slept in her own bed most nights. She had only failed one class in school, which she could take again next year. All the other classes she passed with flying colors and Maura had never been more proud. Every Tuesday Riley got to unwind during soccer practice and she played a game every Saturday. She had been making a lot of friends on the team and Jane and Maura saw her growing and opening up more and more everyday.

Riley had been their daughter for almost eight months and Maura had never been happier. She loved her daughter with everything she had and even though they had faced some challenges in the past few months, she wouldn't want her life to be any other way.

Riley was slowly becoming a regular teenage girl and that came with its own difficulties but Maura loved every minute of it. Her daughter looked like a normal young girl, but Maura knew that wasn't the case. Riley's past was filled with heartbreak; abuse and endless amounts of pain and that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Some nights, she still woke up crying uncontrollably after a nightmare and nestled in between her mother's for warmth and comfort. Sometimes at random moments she still broke out in tears and buried herself in her mother's arms, always needed their loving touches, warm arms and physical love.

About twenty minutes into the movie, Riley's phone buzzed and she reached to pick it up. "Hello?" Maura heard a female voice on the other end of the line, sounding incredibly excited, which made her assume it was the ever enthusiastic Sarah, one of Riley's closest friends. "Hmm." Riley hummed. "I'm gonna have to ask my moms, okay? … Great, thanks."

Maura kissed the top of Riley's head as she rested it back on Maura's shoulder, snuggling back into her mother's warm arms. "What do you need to ask us?" Maura asked softly.

"Uhm." Riley hesitated. "Some kids from the team are going swimming tomorrow, they asked me to come."

"That sounds like fun." Maura smiled.

Riley moved to snuggle even closer in the embrace, hiding her face in Maura's chest. "Can you say I can't go, please?" She mumbled.

"Why?" Maura asked as she rubbed her daughter's back, feeling confused. "You can go, you just have to be home in time for family dinner."

"I don't want to go."

"Well, then just say that. Don't use us to get out of something you don't want to attend." Maura said in her motherly tone, something that had been growing on her pretty well lately. However, she softened her tone when she felt silent tears wetting her shirt.

"What's wrong, my baby?" She asked softly. "Why don't you want to go swimming? Is it because of your period? We have tampons if you need them."

"No, gosh, mom! I know, gross." Riley said as she shook her head.

Maura smiled and kissed the top of Riley's head, restraining herself to explain why menstruation is totally natural and how convenient the use of tampons can be. Her smile fell when she heard her daughter sniffling against her. "Talk to me, my love." Maura whispered.

Riley took a deep, shuttering breath. "I can't wear…" She started, struggling to find words. "I can't show… I can't be in swimwear."

Suddenly Maura realized what was going on in her daughter's head. "Oh, my baby." She whispered. She rubbed Riley's back and was painfully aware of the scars that hid underneath her striped shirt. Dozens of terrible scars that reminded her of horrible abuse, every time she saw them. Dozens of scars that reminded her of how her father used to beat her, kick her and burn her with his cigarettes. Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and kissed Riley's temple. "Honey, they're your friends, right?" She asked softly.

Riley nodded against Maura's chest. "Yeah."

"If they are truly good friends, they won't mind."

"What if they ask about it?"

Maura sighed. "Then you say you don't want to talk about it. Good friends won't ask any further if you say you don't want to talk about it."

"Nobody knows about it except for you and ma." Riley whispered.

"I know, honey." Maura wiped a tear that trickled down Riley's cheek. "And you can keep it that way if you want to."

Riley nodded against Maura's chest and wrapped her arm around Maura's waist. "I just feel so ugly." She whispered.

"Oh, honey." Maura wiped a tear that fell down her cheek before she pulled her daughter close. "Your scars don't make you ugly. You're so beautiful, sweetheart. The scars are a part of you, a part that reminds you of a horrible time, but it's a part of you_._" Maura smiled through her tears and kissed Riley's temple. "And you…God, you are the most beautiful girl in the world, my baby."

Maura rested her cheek against Riley's temple and looked down at her daughter, seeing her lips curling up in a slight smile but tears were still silently trickling down her cheeks and Maura saw pain in her bright blue eyes. "I want to go swimming." Riley said in an insecure voice.

"I know you do." Maura replied with a smile, knowing her daughter rather well by now. "And you know, you can always wear a T-shirt over your bikini if you feel uncomfortable."

Riley nodded against Maura's chest. "Yeah." She whispered.

Maura pulled her close when she felt her daughter's body curling up, hugging her knees close to her chest as she leaned in close to her mother, her brow furrowed in pain. "Those cramps are pretty bad, aren't they?" Maura whispered.

Riley nodded but didn't answer; she just let out a soft whimper and crawled further towards her mother, climbing onto Maura's lap. Maura wrapped her arms around Riley after she readjusted the warm-water bottle to the right place. She kissed Riley's temple and pulled her close. "It'll get better soon, honey. The painkillers will kick in in the next thirty minutes or so."

Riley nodded and rested her head in the crook of Maura's neck as she turned slightly so she could watch the TV. Maura smiled and rocked them back and forth as she kissed her daughter's head. She knew the cramps were bad if Riley climbed into her mother's lap like this. Riley was still relishing in the physical love of her mother whenever she could and Maura loved it. She loved having her small teenage daughter in her arms and hugging her close to her chest. It made her feel at home and blissfully happy.

Maura felt an uncomfortable sting her lower back so she shifted on the couch to get more comfortable, causing Riley to lift her head from the crook of Maura's neck. "Are you uncomfortable? Am I too heavy?" She asked.

"Oh, no honey." Maura brushed Riley's hair back. "I'm fine."

Riley looked down and fumbled with the hot water bottle on her stomach. "I did gain some weight lately." She said softly.

"Yes, thank God you did." Maura said with a loving smile. "I couldn't stand seeing you skin over bones like that."

Riley nodded and shifted back to her original position. Maura smiled and rubbed her daughter's back. "Besides, you're growing up way too quickly so I'm taking all snuggles I can get." She smirked. "And I love your snuggles." Maura whispered as she playfully tickled her daughter's side.

Riley squealed and grabbed Maura's arms to try and stop her movements. "Please, no tickling."

"Sorry." Maura smiled and kissed Riley's temple. "I love you, my baby girl."

"I love you too, mom." Riley said with a smile. "But can you shut up now so I can watch this movie?"

The next day was a Sunday, and therefore the day of another Rizzoli family dinner. Angela was attempting to teach Jane how to make Italian lasagna from scratch while Maura made a healthy salad and Tommy entertained TJ in the living room.

That morning, Riley had been incredibly insecure about going swimming with her friends, but she went anyway. She wore her bikini, red with white dots, with one of Jane's BPD T-shirts over it. Jane assured her that no one should make fun of her, point out her scars or do anything to hurt her or else she would have threaten them with her gun and incredible muscle strength, while Maura told their daughter over and over again she was beautiful and perfect just the way she is. Eventually it drove Riley crazy and she and Jane ended up in a playful wrestling fight, which Jane of course won. Riley ended up leaving quite cheerfully and in a rather good mood, but Maura noticed the insecurity and angst in her goodbye-hug.

She worried about her daughter while she prepared dinner next to her wife and mother-in-law. Riley had to be home within the next thirty minutes and Maura was anxious for her to come home.

"You okay, Maur?" Jane asked, walking around the kitchen counter towards her wife.

Maura snapped her attention from the vegetables she was cutting and looked at her wife, showing a slight smile. "Yeah." She said softly. She put down the knife and turned to wrap her arms around her wife's neck.

Jane happily accepted the embrace by wrapping her strong arms around Maura's waist and kissing her lips. "You were staring at that zucchini for almost two minutes." Jane smirked. "What's going on?"

Maura smiled and captured her wife's lips in a loving kiss. She loved how Jane always knew what was going on in her complicated brain. "I'm worried about Riley." She said softly.

"She's fine." Jane smiled. "We haven't heard from her, so that's a good thing. I'm sure she had a lot of fun."

Maura sighed and pulled Jane close, nuzzling her face into the crook of her wife's neck as she placed an open-mouthed kiss just below Jane's ear. "I hope so." She whispered, as she kept placing hot, wet kisses on Jane's neck, causing her wife to shiver in delight.

"You're gorgeous, Maur." Jane whispered in her husky, hoarse voice.

"Look who's talking?" Maura smirked as she stopped her kisses on Jane's neck to move them to Jane's lovely lips. "The most gorgeous woman in the universe."

Jane pursed her lips and gave her wife a triumphant look. "The universe, huh?"

Maura chuckled and captured Jane's lips in a loving kiss. "Yes, the universe. Who knows, the discovery of unknown planets is still unconfirmed, there might be some very handsome aliens out there." Maura smiled and looked deep into her wife's dark brown eyes. "But I know you'll always be more beautiful."

Jane laughed and kissed Maura's soft lips again. "Did you just tell me I'm more beautiful than aliens?"

"No." Maura answered, thinking about the scientific accuracy about what she just said. "Yes. Maybe. I simply stated that there are parts of the endless cosmos that are still undiscovered, and…"

Jane smiled and cut her off with a loving kiss. "It's one of the best compliments I've ever received."

Maura rolled her eyes and leaned in for another kiss, but the sound of the front door opening startled them, causing the women to turn their heads and see Riley walking into the house. "Hey, baby!" Jane cheerfully greeted her daughter. "Did you have fun at the pool?"

"Yeah." Riley gave her mothers a smile but Maura immediately saw it wasn't genuine. She noticed Riley's shoulders were hanging low and Maura saw her slightly bending over as she kept one hand on her stomach.

Riley walked towards the kitchen and stood next to Angela, accepting a crushing hug. "Hi, honey!" Angela greeted her granddaughter.

"Hey grandma. Are we having lasagna?" She asked with a sweet smile.

"Yes, we are!" Angela replied, pointing towards the pan on the kitchen counter as she finished grating some cheese. "I wanted to make your favorite."

"Thanks. I'm not really that hungry though."

"Well, you will be when this is finished. It'll be delicious."

Riley smiled and nodded. "Yeah, probably. I'm gonna go get changed." She grabbed her bag and slowly walked upstairs, clearly troubled by something.

Maura sighed and looked at her wife standing closely next to her. "We should check on her."

Jane nodded and kissed Maura's temple. "Ma, can you finish this?"

"Yeah, of course." Angela replied with a sweet smile. "You two go talk to your daughter, I think something's bothering her."

"Yeah, figured that." Jane mumbled as she followed her wife upstairs.

Maura walked down the hallway and knocked on Riley's door. "Riley, honey? Can we come in?"

"Yeah." Riley answered softly.

Maura opened the door and saw Riley's bathroom door was slightly open. "I'm just changing, hold on." Riley called from the bathroom.

"Sure." Maura sat down on Riley's bed as Jane paced around the room. "Are you okay, baby?"

"Yeah."

"Your body-language says otherwise, honey." Maura answered.

"Thanks for analyzing my body-language. That's great." Riley answered sarcastically. She emerged from the bathroom, wearing a pair of soccer shorts and a red sweater. She sat down next to Maura on the bed and sighed deeply.

"How did it go?" Maura asked softly as she rubbed Riley's back.

"It was fine."

"Did they… uhm…" Jane stuttered. "Did they mention anything?"

"Sarah asked me about it, but she didn't do it in front of everybody so I just said I didn't want to talk about and she said that was fine, she didn't ask about it again."

"Sarah's a good friend." Jane replied with a sweet smile.

"Yeah." Riley looked up at Jane and showed a hopeful smile, but she slumped slightly forward, holding one hand on her stomach. "The rest didn't say anything about it. Some people were staring at me…" A flash of hurt crossed Riley's face and ached Maura's heart. "But they didn't say anything."

"That's good." Maura smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Is your stomach still hurting, sweetie?"

Riley nodded and furrowed her brow in pain. "Yeah."

"What, you still have cramps?" Jane asked, sitting down next to her daughter on the edge of the bed. "Those usually don't last longer than a day, do they?"

Riley shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chest. "No. I don't know, it feels different this time."

"How different?" Maura asked, gently guiding Riley to lower her knees so she could examine her stomach. "Where's the pain?"

"A little higher than usual." Riley pointed at her stomach. "It's kind of a constant, dull ache in stead of stinging cramps every now and then."

"Does this hurt?" Maura pressed lightly on a few spots on her daughter's stomach, causing the girl to whimper in pain.

"Yeah." She whispered.

Maura furrowed her brow and looked concerned. She searched her brain for an explanation; diagnoses for what she thought were period cramps. "When was your last bowel movement?"

"What?"

"That's poop." Jane explained.

"Ew." Riley scrunched her nose. "I don't know… It's been a while though."

"Could be causing pain in this region." Maura mumbled, mostly to herself. "Make sure you drink a lot of water, and ingest extra fibers." She lifted her hands from Riley's stomach and wrapped her arms around the girl. "If it's not better by tomorrow, we'll go to the hospital for an ultrasound."

"Ultrasound?" Riley asked, lifted her head from Maura's shoulder to look at her mother with a confused look on her face. "I'm not pregnant."

Maura laughed and brushed Riley's hair back. "Thank God you're not. I haven't even been a mother for a year, I'm nowhere near ready to be a grandmother." She smiled at Riley's chuckle but her smile fell when her daughter's brow furrowed in pain. "No honey, an ultrasound is just a picture of your insides."

"Does that hurt?"

"No, baby. Not a bit." Maura pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead, trying to determine her temperature. It had slightly increased, but she concluded it wasn't high enough to be exactly a fever. "Just go easy on the lasagna tonight, okay?"

"Sure, I'm not hungry anyway."

Jane hummed and rubbed Riley's back. "Too bad. This lasagna's gonna be great."

"I made a delicious salad, that should be good for you." Maura said excitedly.

Riley rolled her eyes and followed Jane as she stood up from the bed. "Great." She whined. "Mom's salad."

Maura followed her wife and daughter and playfully pinched Riley's upper arm before gently wrapping her arms around the girl's chest from behind, pulling her close. "I want you to be healthy, my love."

Riley laughed and allowed Maura to kiss her cheek. "I know that, I was just joking. Your salads aren't that bad. Just the ones that have quinoa in them. Or kale. Or those chia seeds that get stuck between my teeth."

"That doesn't leave much else, kid." Jane smirked while the three of them walked down the stairs.

Riley giggled and looked at Maura with an apologetic look as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'm sorry. I don't really like you salads, mom." She smiled sweetly. "But I love you, tough." She raised her eyebrows and looked at her mother with big eyes, hoping to earn some daughter-points.

Maura laughed and couldn't help falling for her little trick as she looked into those big, piercing blue eyes. She kissed her daughter's cheek and gently pushed her towards the kitchen. "I love you too, my baby." She replied in a sweet tone. "Go help your grandmother set the table, please."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jane was lying in bed with Maura's head resting on her chest, their legs tangled together, Jane's arms securely wrapped around her wife, holding her close as they slept. She faintly heard a soft voice in the back of her mind, but it wasn't loud enough to wake her up. It wasn't until she felt a cold hand pressing against her upper arm that the detective opened her eyes and looked up to see her daughter standing next to their bed, looking dangerously pale while tears streamed down her face.

"Oh God, baby what's wrong?" Jane asked, carefully untangling herself from Maura who was slowly waking up from the movement.

Riley slumped forward, her arms wrapped around her stomach. "It hurts, mama." She whimpered.

Maura shot up next to Jane when she looked at her daughter. In an instant, she climbed over Jane to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling Riley down in between them. "Where does it hurt, baby?" She asked as she put her hand against Riley's forehead. She pulled it back too quickly.

"Everywhere." Riley whispered, her voice laced with tears. "My whole stomach hurts so bad."

Maura guided Riley to lie down on the bed and moved her skilled hands across Riley's stomach, gently examining it while Jane made soft strokes on Riley's forehead, feeling the crazy amount of heat that radiated from her daughter. "What's wrong, Maur?" Jane whispered.

She wasn't an expert but she knew Riley's fever was way too high. She remembered the time when Riley had the flu during Thanksgiving. She hated every minute of it. She hated seeing her daughter in pain, she hated feeling her hot forehead and the clear pain that showed in her eyes. But she knew this was different. She could tell by the look in Maura's eyes that this was bad. This wasn't just the flu.

Maura sighed deeply and gently pulled Riley up next to them as the girl snuggled closely into Jane's side. "Honey, did you vomit?" Maura asked.

Riley nodded against Jane's chest. "Twice." She answered weakly.

Maura sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. "I'm afraid it's her appendix. I can't determine her exact temperature, but I estimate it's around 107, which is too high. We have to get her to the hospital." 

"What?" Jane widened her eyes and felt Riley whimpering against her as she watched Maura standing up to change out of her silk pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a sweater.

She threw Jane a jacket and some pants and grabbed a pair of shoes for herself. "I don't think it's just an infection, it could be ruptured, which could cause all kinds of various problems. She has to be in surgery as soon as possible." Maura was frantically walking around the room, getting ready to get to the hospital, but her voice sounded calm and professional as always.

"Do we need to call an ambulance?" Jane asked.

"I think we can drive ourselves. It's the middle of the night, the streets will be empty."

Jane felt panic burning in her chest as she felt her daughter shivering against her. Riley lifted her head and looked at her mother with shimmering eyes. "Surgery?" She whispered.

"They're gonna make you better, honey." Jane answered sweetly, brushing Riley's hair from her sweaty forehead.

"No," Riley whimpered, "Mom's a doctor! Can't she make me better?"

"No, my baby. We need to get you to the hospital." Maura answered as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand. "Right now, Jane."

Jane noticed the urge in her wife's voice and gently pulled away from her daughter to put on a jacket and a pair of sweatpants. She slipped into her sneakers and didn't bother to tie the shoelaces. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her daughter. Jane pulled Riley up from the bed but she saw the girl's knees going weak so she quickly lifted her up, carrying her daughter in her arms as she followed her wife downstairs, feeling Riley clinging tightly to her. Maura grabbed the car keys from the kitchen counter and opened the door to the garage for Jane.

"It's okay, baby, I'm right here." Jane whispered to her shaking daughter as she gently put her down in the backseat. She looked at her wife and saw fear in her shimmering hazel eyes, a look that made her stomach ache. She looked down at Maura's hands and saw her shaking as she held the car keys, which Jane gently took from her fingers. She kissed Maura's lips and tried to manage a reassuring smile, but she failed.

"Mommy, it hurts!" Riley grunted from the backseat, causing Maura to break eye contact with her wife and sit down next to her daughter while Jane ran around the car to drive.

She turned the key in the ignition and looked in the rearview mirror to see Maura pulling Riley in her lap, holding her close in her arms as she rubbed her daughter's back. "It's going to be okay, my baby." Maura whispered.

It was past 3am and the streets were empty, so Jane didn't bother stopping for red lights and she raced towards the hospital, praying that her daughter would be okay. She recognized that tone in her wife's voice, and she knew the look in Maura's eyes. If doctor Maura Isles looked that concerned, it was a terribly bad sign. Jane knew an appendicitis hurt, but she didn't know it was this bad. She didn't know the complications that could occur if it was ruptured, but Maura did and the look in her eyes told Jane she should be worried.

"Jane, hurry." Maura called from the backseat. "She's gone."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Jane nearly screamed in a panicked voice.

"She's lost consciousness." Maura answered, her voice laced with tears. "Hurry!"

She turned the car onto the parking lot and hit the brakes with great force, causing her to slump forward in her seatbelt. She opened her door and ran around the car to lift Riley from Maura's arms, hurrying towards the emergency room.

Maura ran in front of Jane and explained the situation to the nurse at the reception, who immediately sprung into action by beeping a surgeon. Jane was grateful to hear Riley whimpering again, signaling that she had gain consciousness again. She stretched her back and moved the girl in her arms, who was getting quite heavy.

"Hi, my baby." Jane whispered. She kissed Riley's forehead as she felt the girl's weak arms wrapping around her neck. "They're gonna get a doctor for you and you're gonna be okay."

Riley nodded and tears started falling down her cheeks again as she whimpered in pain. "It hurts." She whispered in a hoarse voice

"I know, honey. They're gonna make it better."

A few minutes later, a nurse led them towards a hospital bed where Jane gently put her daughter down so another nurse could dress her in a surgical gown and hook her up to various kinds of medical equipment, ready to be taken into immediate surgery.

"Mommy?" Riley whimpered, looking frantically around the room to find her mothers who were forced to step back to make room for the nurses.

"I'm here, my love." Maura said softly as she quickly stepped towards the bed. She grabbed Riley's hand and stroked her hot forehead. "I'm here."

"What's happening?"

"They are going to get you into surgery. You're gonna go to sleep, and they are going to open up your stomach and remove your appendix and fix the pain." Maura explained, with a loving look in her shimmering eyes.

"Does that hurt?" Riley asked in a weak voice.

"No, baby." Jane answered, stepping towards the other side of the bed. "You won't feel a thing."

Riley nodded and tried to smile, but she whimpered and cried out in pain. Jane saw her wife breaking down in a silent sob as she leaned down to the bed, trying to wrap her arms around her daughter as she pressed her lips against Riley's hot forehead. "I love you so much, my beautiful baby girl." She pulled away to look at her daughter, who was fighting to stay conscious. "I love you so much."

Just as Jane tried to step in and hug her daughter, two nurses started moving the bed. "We have to get her into an OR," said one of the nurses.

Jane nodded and walked along with the moving bed, Maura on the other side. "You're gonna be alright, baby." Jane said, trying to sound reassuring. "I love you so much. Your mom and I love you so much. We'll see you after the surgery, everything will be fine."

Riley looked up at her mothers and Jane saw a kind of fear she'd never seen in those clear blue eyes. She saw a mixture of panic, extreme terror and great pain, which made her heart ache. Too soon, the nurse told Jane and Maura to let go.

"We love you!" Maura yelled after her daughter as they took her through big doors, towards the OR. "I love you." She whimpered softly before she almost fell to her knees, Jane moving just in time to catch her. Maura broke down in heartbreaking sobs, clinging to her wife in a desperate grip.

Jane held her wife close; her arms securely wrapped around the doctor as she cried into Jane's chest and allowed desperate sobs to wreck her body. Jane was surprised to see this reaction coming from her wife. Maura knew exactly how this operation would work, she knew all the possible complications by heart and she knew how to rationalize. But all of that was gone now. There was nothing left of the confident, put-together, skilled medical examiner. Maura was now a desperate mother that could do nothing more that to pray for her child to be okay and this reaction scared Jane. She knew Riley was in serious danger; otherwise Maura wouldn't react like this. If Riley weren't in a life-threatening situation, Maura would rationalize her way out of it, teaching Jane all the facts and procedures, taking comfort in technical facts.

They stayed silent for a long time, Maura sobbing quietly, silent tears trickling down Jane's cheek as they stood in the hallway of a dark and quiet hospital, clinging tightly to each other, wishing and praying that their daughter would be back in their arms soon.

After a long time, Jane quietly broke the silence. "Maur, you said she's gonna be okay." She whispered. "Is she gonna be okay?" Jane noticed a hint of desperation in her own voice and didn't fight the tears that fell down her cheeks. "Tell me she's gonna be okay."

Maura pulled back and looked deeply into Jane's eyes. She cupped Jane's cheek and wiped a tear with her thumb. "I wish I could." She whispered.

Jane widened her eyes and felt panic tickling in her chest. "What?" She fought to keep her voice down, to stop herself from jumping the walls, screaming out in anger and panic. "What does that mean, Maur?" She asked. "Please tell me what's happening Maura, because you're scaring the crap out of me."

Maura closed her eyes and guided Jane to sit down on a bench a few feet away. "Maur, I need you to be doctor Isles right now, okay? I need you to tell me all your medical and scientific mumbo-jumbo and confuse me with your Google-mouth."

Maura looked down and took Jane's hands in her own after she wiped her cheeks and took a deep breath. Jane smiled when she saw her wife slowly trying to put herself back together again. "Please talk to me, babe." Jane whispered.

"I should have known." Maura said quietly. She looked up at Jane and Jane saw tears and immense pain in those beautiful, big hazel eyes. "I should have known the minute that Feminax didn't kick in yesterday. I should have known when she sat curled up in my lap for nearly two hours." Maura took a deep breath as a single tear trickled down her cheek. "I should have known it wasn't just menstrual cramps or constipation."

"You couldn't have known, Maur." Jane answered, trying to comfort her wife.

Maura smiled sadly and Jane knew Maura didn't believe her. "It's most likely a ruptured appendix." Maura started, wiping her cheeks again. "A regular appendicitis is bad, but rupture makes it quite serious. It can cause peritonitis…"

"What's that?"

"An infection in the abdominal wall. There's a membrane that covers the abdominal organs, which can get infected due to a ruptured appendix."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Jane asked softly, afraid to hear the answer.

"We shouldn't think like that, Jane."

"I know, but I know you've gone over the possibilities in your head multiple times and I'd like to be on the same page as you." Jane answered, stroking Maura's knuckles with her thumb.

Maura sighed and smiled at her wife, her tears finally drying on her cheeks. "If it is indeed peritonitis, the infection can spread in her bloodstream and affect her other organs."

"And then…?"

Maura stayed silent for a while before she answered hesitantly. "That doesn't happen. She'll get a large amount of antibiotics."

"What if it does?" Jane pressed on.

"If the infection spreads, she could die."

Jane closed her eyes and leaned forward to bury her head in Maura's shoulder as her wife's soft arms wrapped around her. "God that would kill me."

"That won't happen, Jane." Maura assured her wife, but Jane heard the pain and tears in her voice. "We're not too late, they can still fix it."

Jane nodded and sniffled as hot tears fell down her cheeks. "What if we lose her?" She whispered barely audible.

"We won't." Maura whispered. She cupped Jane's face and wiped her tears with her thumbs as her own tears continued falling. She captured Jane's lips in a desperate and loving kiss. "We won't lose her. The universe isn't that cruel."

Jane nodded and took a deep breath as she relaxed against the back of the uncomfortable bench. She felt her wife snuggling into her side as she wrapped her arm around Maura's shoulders and kissed her temple. "It seems like only yesterday when we first met her…" Jane said with a sentimental smile. "But at the same time it feels like she's been our kid for years."

Maura hummed and rested her head on Jane's shoulder. "I know. It feels like this is the way it's supposed to be, like it's always been this way."

"Everything is so much better with her in our lives." Jane whispered.

Jane rested her cheek against Maura's temple and looked at her wife to see a sweet smile on her face. "I remember when we first met her at the adoption center last fall." Maura said. "She looked so tiny and vulnerable. She's grown so much since she's been with us."

Jane nodded and pulled her wife close into her side. "Who would have thought then that we had just met the girl that would become pretty much the most important person in our lives?"

Maura laughed softly and draped her arm over Jane's stomach. "I certainly didn't." She replied softly. "I knew she'd be important and I knew I would love her right from the start, but I never anticipated it was even possible to feel this amount of love for a child."

Jane kissed the top of Maura's head that rested on her shoulder. "Me neither. I thought I'd reached the love-limit when I fell in love with you, but I was wrong."

"Love-limit?" Maura asked with a hint of amusement. "That doesn't exist, love has no limit."

Jane chuckled. "Yeah, it's not a thing, I know." She smirked. "I mean I thought I never could love someone as much as I love you, because I love you so much, but it turns out I have a whole different kind of love in me, and an endless amount of it."

Maura smiled and lifted her head to slowly kiss Jane's lips. "That still doesn't make sense, but I get what you mean." She brushed Jane's hair back and looked into her eyes with a pained expression before kissing her lips again.

Jane smiled into the kiss and pulled Maura back into her arms as she rested her head on Jane's shoulder again. "Riley's gonna be okay, right?" Jane asked insecurely. "I need her to be okay."

"I wish I could promise that, Jane." Maura said softly, not moving from their loving embrace. "I wish I could, but I can't. Time will tell if she's okay."

Jane sighed and tried to relax with her wife closely in her arms, smiling sadly when Maura occasionally placed loving kisses along her neck and collarbone. They waited for what felt like hours, waiting, praying and hoping the surgery would be successful. Jane felt her back and muscles hurting from the uncomfortable bench, her wife shifting in her arms as they both murmured soft declarations of love, attempting to find comfort in their familiar foundation of infinite love.

Finally, the doors opened and a tall man in blue scrubs walked towards the two women. Maura immediately stood up, quickly followed by Jane.

"Are you the parents of Riley Rizzoli-Isles?"

"Yes, we are. Is she okay?" Maura asked hastily.

"She just got out of a complicated but successful surgery. You can see her now."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_A/N First of all, thank you so much for the continuing support and your sweet reviews. It means the world to me!_

_It's a shame I can't reply to guests, but to the guest that lectured me about the statistics of survivors among appendicitis: Riley's appendix was ruptured and that can cause many problems that are way more serious than just appendicitis. There will be more details about it in this chapter. _

_To the guest that hoped Riley wouldn't make it: please don't. _

_I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you again! _

Maura stepped into the hospital room and saw her small daughter lying in a bed, hooked up to a lot of tubes. She had an IV in the top of her hand, and Maura saw a gavage and a catheter coming out from under the sheets. Riley looked dangerously pale, she had dark red circles under her eyes and she looked even skinnier than she did when they first met her.

She heard Jane sniffling next to her and saw her wife stepping towards the bed and softly brushing Riley's hair back as tears fell down her cheeks. Maura took a deep breath, trying not to cry as she turned to the doctor. "What was the procedure?" She asked.

Jane turned to look at the doctor and stopped him as he started talking in complicated medical terms. "Can you please explain it so a simple soul like me can understand?"

"Her appendix was ruptured, just like you thought. We removed the appendix but it caused peritonitis, so she's on strong antibiotics to prevent it from spreading." He explained. "Time will tell if other complications will occur. Right now, the fever has to drop and she has to wake up."

Jane sighed and rubbed her forehead. "So, is she gonna be okay?"

"I think so, yes. I can't promise anything, but the surgery was successful. We need to wait and monitor her closely for a while. For now, the antibiotics need to kick in and she just needs to wake up without a fever above 103 degrees. We caught it well on time." He smiled a reassuring smile when Maura grabbed Jane's hand and squeezed it lovingly. "It was a close call, but your daughter's a little fighter, I have good faith."

"Thank you." Maura said politely before the doctor left the room. She sat down in the chair close to Riley's head and brushed the girl's hair back, feeling her still too warm forehead. "Oh, my baby." She whispered. "I was so afraid we'd lost you."

Jane moved a chair against her wife's and sat closely next to her as she rubbed Maura's back. "She's okay, Maur." She whispered, mostly trying to comfort herself.

Maura nodded and felt a tear trickling down her cheek, her heart bursting with love and relief. "I know."

They sat for a long time, waiting for their daughter to wake up as Maura kept lovingly stroking Riley's forehead, looking at her young and vulnerable face. She took faith in her daughter's regular breathing, occasionally resting her hand on Riley's chest to feel her rapid heartbeat. The beeping on the monitor wasn't enough for the medical examiner, she needed to feel her daughter's heartbeat with her own hands, she needed to feel that she was alive.

After three excruciating long hours, Riley finally stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

Maura quickly sat up to cup her daughter's face as Jane did the same, grabbing one of Riley's hands. "Hi, baby." Maura whispered.

"Mama." Riley's voice was nothing more than a soft, husky breath. "What…" She tried to speak but Maura stopped her.

"Your appendix was ruptured. They removed it, and you are getting antibiotics to cure an infection."

"Is't gnna b'okay?" Riley mumbled, feeling too weak to speak properly.

Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and kissed her daughter's temple. "Yes, my love. It's going to be okay."

Riley nodded and managed a small smile. She looked at Jane and suddenly tears sprung in her eyes. Maura looked next to her to see what caused her daughter to tear up and saw tears streaming down her wife's face. Jane laughed and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm just so glad you're okay." She whispered.

Riley tried to answer but the complicated surgery had completely exhausted her tiny body. "Shh, my baby." Maura whispered. "It's okay, we're here, go rest."

Riley nodded and Maura watched her slowly lifting her arm towards her mother, silently asking Maura to wrap her arms around the girl, which Maura happily obliged to. She carefully hugged her daughter, kissing her cheek as she leaned down. She heard Riley whimpering against her and saw tears falling down the girl's cheeks, as she allowed soft sobs to escape her body. "Shh, honey, calm down, you need to rest."

Riley took a deep shuttering breath and closed her eyes, soothed by Maura's loving strokes on her forehead and Jane's comforting rubs on her knuckles. Satisfied to see her daughter calming down, Maura checked the equipment on the side of the bed to see if everything was okay, and she sighed in relief when she saw that it was. "It's okay, honey. You can go to sleep now."

Jane and Maura stayed by Riley's bed all night and morning, their muscles getting sore in uncomfortable chairs, but neither of them wanted to leave their daughter's side. It wasn't until after eleven that Riley woke up again, slowly opening her eyes and turning her head to look at her mothers.

"Good morning, honey." Maura whispered.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?" Jane asked, sweetly rubbing Riley's leg.

Riley shrugged. "Mostly nauseous. But otherwise better I think."

"I'll page a nurse, they can get you something for that." Maura answered.

"Thanks." Riley tried to sit up but Maura stopped her.

"Don't move too much, honey." She pressed a button to lift the head of the bed, allowing Riley to sit up a little further.

A nurse came in and adjusted Riley's infusion and checked all the other equipment. When she left Riley sighed and relaxed her head back against the pillows. Maura reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face and cupped her daughter's cheek, wiping her cheekbone with her thumb. "I love you so much, my beautiful baby girl."

Riley smiled but her eyes didn't participate. "I was really scared." She whispered.

"So were we." Jane smiled and squeezed Riley's hand as she took it back in her own.

"And I was pissed too." Riley said with a hint of a smile in her voice. For a brief moment Maura was afraid she was pissed at her and Jane for incorrectly assuming her stomach pain were menstrual cramps, but those worries were put to ease as Riley continued. "I was so pissed at God, or the universe, or whatever's out there. I thought: well here I am, I finally have a family and the most amazing mothers in the world and now I die."

Maura smiled sadly and pressed her lips against Riley's temple. "You didn't die, baby."

"I didn't?" Riley said with wide eyes that showed a cheerful sparkle. "Jeez, I thought I did and this was a strange kind of heaven."

Jane laughed and Maura felt her strong hand resting on her upper back. "See? She's gonna be fine. She's already making fun of you again."

Maura smiled lovingly and continued her soft strokes on her daughter's cheek. "Yes, thank God." She whispered.

"What's happening with all these tubes?" Riley asked softly, looking at everything that came out under the sheets.

Maura smiled and lifted her hand from Riley's cheek to explain the different tubes. "This one can pump food into your stomach. It'll be a while before you can have solid foods again."

"Is there food in it right now?"

"No, that'll make you more nauseous now. The IV in your hand provides liquids so you don't get dehydrated. And this tube," Maura carefully lifted a tube that was attached to a bag, "is a catheter that drains your urine, so you don't have to go to the bathroom."

Riley scrunched her nose. "Gross." She said, causing Jane to chuckle. She smiled, happy to be making her mother laugh. She yawned but flinched in pain.

"Be careful, honey." Maura gently placed her hand on Riley's stomach. "You have stitches."

Riley nodded and lowered the sheets before slowly lifting her surgical gown to inspect her own stomach. Maura stood up and examined it along with her daughter. She saw some bruising and clean stitches, but nothing looked alarming.

"Another scar." Riley whispered, looking at the stitches.

"Yes, but a very different one." Maura replied softly. She pressed her lips against Riley's temple and helped her put down the gown before she tucked her in blankets to avoid her from getting cold.

"Mom." Riley said after three long minutes of tucking in and adjusting blankets. "Thanks."

Maura smiled and pressed her lips against Riley's forehead, grateful to feel that the heat had slightly dropped. "Sorry."

Jane smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, near Riley's feet. "It's really tough to be taken care of by Maura Isles, honey." She smirked. "She'll be tucking you in, feeding you kale, giving you endless amounts of hugs and kisses, she'll be making sure you're comfortable at least a hundred times an hour… And that's just the beginning."

Riley giggled but clutched her stomach in pain, causing Maura to hiss and grab her daughter's hands. "Be careful, baby." She kissed her daughter's temple and gave her wife a scolding look. "If you wouldn't be getting yourself injured all the time, I wouldn't have to take care of you like that."

"I can't help it, I'm just awesome at my job!"

"If you were awesome at your job, you won't be breaking bones and bruising ribs all the time."

"I don't do that 'all the time'."

Maura tilted her head and playfully pinched Jane's leg. "You do it often enough to make me have to take care of you."

"I just do it because I like it when you give me hugs and kisses all the time." Jane smirked. "I could live without the constant tucking in and the kale though."

"So you're saying you get yourself injured on purpose?"

Jane grunted with a hint of a smile in her eyes. "I should have seen that one coming." She mumbled. "No, I don't. Bottom line: I love your hugs and kisses."

Maura sighed and smiled lightly before pulling her wife in for a sweet kiss. "I'm still offended." She said with a smile.

She looked over to her daughter and saw that her eyes were closed, her lips curled up in a small, content smile. Maura smiled at her wife and laced her fingers with Jane's before placing a sweet kiss on Riley's cheek. "My sweet girl." She whispered.

Riley slept for the rest of the day while Jane and Maura never left her side. The next morning she was feeling a little better, so Maura made a quick drive home to get some extra clothes for herself, Jane and Riley. She gave Angela a quick call to get her updated on the latest events, and of course she insisted on visiting again that same night. She called Riley's school to inform them on the situation, and the counselor was rather thoughtful about it, proposing numerous possibilities on how Riley could catch up on all the things she'd missed. When she was absolutely sure she had taken care of everything, Maura quickly took their bags and rushed back to the car to get back to the hospital, feeling uncomfortable for leaving her daughter.

When she drove the car out of the garage, she saw a tall blonde girl standing at the front door, ringing the doorbell. Of course nobody opened, so Maura put down the window and called the girl over, seeing that it was Sarah. Sarah ran towards the car and stopped in front of Maura who got out of her seat, turning off the engine.

"Riley's mom?" She called on the way.

"Hi, Sarah." Maura greeted the girl who was Riley's closest friend, smiling at the way Riley still called both her and Jane 'Riley's mom'. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Yeah. How's Riley? She's not in school and I heard she's in the hospital and she almost died and she's really really sick and… Is she okay?" Sarah shook her head and Maura saw a look of panic and fear in her eyes. "The teacher wouldn't tell us anything else than something with her appendix, what's wrong? Is she gonna be okay?"

Maura smiled a reassuring smile and placed her hand on Sarah's upper arm, trying to get the girl to calm down. "Riley's okay." She replied. "Her appendix was ruptured. They removed it, but she got an infection, which made it quite dangerous. But she gets the right medicine now. She'll be okay."

Sarah lowered her shoulders and let out a deep breath. "Oh, good."

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Maura repeated. It looked almost like Sarah had ran all the way from school to their house, panicked upon hearing the news about her friend.

Sarah looked down at her feet and fumbled with her shoulder bag. "Yeah… Mr. Craft told us Riley was in the hospital, and I kept asking him what was wrong but he couldn't tell us much and I got so worried… I skipped gym class."

Maura smiled at the devotion that Sarah showed for her friend. "You shouldn't skip classes."

"I know." Sarah managed to show an apologetic smile. "Gym class is no fun without Riley anyway. And I already passed for volleyball."

Maura sighed and couldn't resist the look in Sarah's eyes. "Would you like to visit her?" She asked sweetly.

Sarah's face light up and she looked at Maura with wide eyes that beamed gratefulness. "Could I?"

"Yes, but not for too long. She's very tired and needs a lot of rest."

Sarah nodded frantically. "Yeah, of course."

"Hop in." Maura smiled and gestured towards the passenger's seat as she sat behind the wheel to drive them towards the hospital. She drove in a hurry, anxious to get back to her wife and daughter.

They entered the hospital after a quiet drive, and walked into Riley's room to see Jane sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to her daughter who was smiling at something she said.

"Riley, sweetheart." Maura said as she entered the room. "I brought a visitor."

Riley smiled and looked passed Maura. Her eyes widened in happy surprise. "Sarah! Oh my gosh!"

Sarah smiled shyly and stepped next to the bed. "You look terrible."

"Thanks." Riley smirked. "I think I look about as bad as I feel."

Sarah chuckled and nodded but her smile fell when she looked at Riley's pale face. "Are you okay?" She asked softly.

Riley slowly nodded. "I think so, yeah."

Maura watched her daughter talking to her friend as she wrapped her arm around Jane's shoulders, feeling her wife's arm wrapping securely around her waist. "She was at our front door." Maura whispered. "Left school to check on Riley."

Jane smiled lovingly. "She's a good friend."

Maura hummed and pursed her lips. "I don't approve of her leaving school, even if it was just for a gym class she'd already passed, but it's sweet of her to come by."

"Of course you wouldn't approve." Jane looked up at her wife and pulled her down for a sweet kiss.

Maura happily accepted the kiss and pulled Jane into her side as they watched their daughter and her friend. "So, what's going on at school?" Riley asked, eager to change the subject onto something less serious.

Sarah sat down in the chair next to Riley's head, still looking quite shy and uncomfortable; a look that wasn't accustomed to the girl who was normally outgoing and spontaneous. "We have to write this paper about our future jobs, and Kate thinks she's gonna be married to Thomas and be a news anchor." Sarah chuckled.

"She wishes." Riley smirked.

"I know, right? Oh, and Rachel got into detention for spitting gum across the classroom during algebra. Walter broke up with Miranda because she cheated on him with Larry, and now the whole school is saying she's a slut."

Maura gasped at the last word. "Sarah, watch your language please."

"I'm sorry." She said softly, creeping into her shell again.

"So, pretty much normal things going on…?" Riley said with a smile.

"Yeah, pretty much." Sarah smirked. "Although now everyone's talking about how you almost died."

Riley relaxed her head against her pillow and smiled sadly. "Yeah, exciting gossip, isn't it?"

Sarah sighed and nodded. "Yep. But I'll kick their butts if they talk bad about you."

Maura saw her daughter's eyelids getting heavy and decided she had enough interaction for today, taking in count that Angela and Frankie would most likely be visiting later that day. "Sarah, it's time to go now, I'm sorry. Riley needs her rest."

Sarah immediately stood up. "Yeah, of course. Thank you for letting me visit her, makes me feel a lot better."

"Me too." Riley smiled.

"So, uhm, what's the deal? Can you take hugs?" Sarah asked Riley with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah." Riley replied.

"Be careful though!" Maura jumped in. She held her breath as Sarah hugged her daughter, but sighed in relief when she saw the gentleness in her movements.

"Sarah, how are you going to get home?" Jane asked, knowing she drove with Maura.

"Oh." Sarah asked, only now realizing that she still needed a form of transport. "Uhm, is there a bus coming by here?"

"I'm not letting you take a bus by yourself." Jane replied sternly.

"I'll call my parents." Sarah reached for her phone in her bag, but stopped her movements. "If I brought my phone…"

"Take mine." Jane offered the girl her phone and met with a grateful smile.

Sarah stepped away to call her parents and Maura sat down next to her daughter's head. "How are you feeling, love?" She asked softly.

"Tired, nauseous."

Maura hummed and kissed Riley's temple. "Any pain?"

"Yeah, but just in my lower stomach."

"Good." Maura smiled and brushed Riley's hair out of her face, knowing that she wasn't feeling any unusual pain.

Suddenly Sarah's loud voice startled them. "Jeez, dad! It's not like they're evil!"

Maura looked over her shoulder to see tears in Sarah's eyes, anger edged on her face. "I know that, and I think it's stupid! I'm just visiting my best friend in the hospital. She's really sick, dad!" She stayed silent for a while and Maura heard a loud male voice coming from the other side of the line. "Don't say that like it's the most awful thing in the world, they're good people! Riley's parents are great, I don't care that they're both women and neither should you and mom."

Maura looked at Jane and saw anger in her deep, brown eyes. She knew Sarah's parents didn't allow Sarah to visit Riley at home, because she had two mothers. Sarah didn't agree with them and Riley had told them she had been fighting with her parents a lot about it, but in the end Sarah was only 14 and she had to listen to her parents.

Sarah wiped her cheeks and rubbed her forehead. "Can you just come get me, dad?" She asked in a weak voice. "Thank you." Sarah hung up the phone and handed the phone back to Jane as she dapped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. "Sorry about that."

Jane smiled sweetly and rubbed her upper arm. "Don't worry about it. Are you okay?"

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. I just _really _don't understand their problem."

"Me neither." Jane whispered.

Sarah smiled and looked at Riley who was looking exhausted but happy. "I'm so sorry, Rile." She said as she placed her fumbling hands on the safety rack of the bed. "I try to convince them every time that you have the most amazing parents in the world but they freaked when they knew I drove with your mom to visit you."

Riley shrugged. "It's alright. It was nice of you to visit."

Sarah nodded and took a deep breath, composing herself as she grabbed her bag. "I should go." She said with a smile. "Thanks for the ride, and for letting me visit Riley."

"You're welcome, darling." Maura smiled sweetly and lovingly squeezed Sarah's arm. "I hope to see you around soon."

"Me too." Sarah turned around and patted Riley's upper leg. "Bye, Rile."

"Bye." Riley replied softly before closing her eyes and sighing deeply.

Jane rubbed her daughter's leg, still sitting on the bed as Maura pressed her lips against Riley's forehead, grateful to feel only a slight raise in her temperature. "You picked a good friend, kid." Jane smiled.

Riley hummed and opened her eyes to look at her mother at the end of the bed. "I don't think you get to pick friends, I think you just walk into them."

Maura smiled and looked at her wife with a love in her eyes, knowing that Riley was more than right. It happened the same way with her and Jane. One day, they just walked into each other and became best friends, just like that. They didn't pick each other, they didn't choose to become friends or fall in love for that matter. Things like that just happen. You just walk into it.

Maura tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear and sweetly stroked her forehead. "Go to sleep, my love." She whispered.

"Will you stay?" Riley asked weakly as she closed her eyes.

Maura smiled and continued her loving strokes on her daughter's forehead, slowly lulling her into sleep. "Of course, my baby. We're here."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Riley had been in the hospital for four days and thankfully, the antibiotics kicked in. The infection didn't spread and even though the girl was still in quite a lot of pain and she was very nauseous, she was doing better and better everyday. She couldn't have solid foods yet, but the gavage had been removed, as well as the catheter. Jane had never seen anyone as happy to be able to pee on her own as she did that day. Jane and Maura never left their daughter's side, taking turns in visiting home to grab some clothes, take a shower and other necessary things. It was exhausting for both of them, but they wouldn't want it any other way.

Doctor Pike had taken Maura's place for now, causing Korsak to call Jane at least two times a day to complain about him. Jane just chuckled and made jokes about it, amused by his stories. She insisted on being up to date on the latest cases and helped wherever she could, but she spent most of her time playing cards with her daughter.

"Hah, beat you again." Riley threw her cards down on the bed where Jane was sitting opposite her with crossed legs.

"You're cheating." Jane smirked as she threw her own cards in defeat.

"I am not!" Riley gasped playfully. "Ask Mom."

"I can't, she's at work trying to solve a disaster that the genius doctor Pike caused. But I know you cheated because you've won three times in a row." Jane crossed her arms and smiled at her daughter.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm better." Riley giggled but her smile fell as she clutched her stomach in pain.

"Oh baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Riley whimpered as she rested her head against her pillow. She took a deep breath, trying her best not to vomit. "It hurts."

"I know, honey." Jane looked at her daughter with a pained expression on her face. She hated seeing the girl in pain. She put away the cards and comfortingly rubbed Riley's leg, hoping the pain would subside soon, but in stead she saw tears trickling down her daughter's cheeks. "Is it that bad? Should I get someone?"

Riley shook her head and lifted her hand to wipe her cheeks, bringing the IV with it. "No." She whispered.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Jane asked in a serious tone, afraid that Riley was in more pain than they thought. She saw her daughter shaking her head again without replying, causing Jane to crawl next to her daughter, gathering the girl in her arms as she lay down next to her. She rubbed Riley's back and kissed the top of her head as the girl rested her head against her mother's chest. "I'm here, baby." Jane whispered. She felt Riley's weak hands clutching her T-shirt in a desperate grip as her tears kept falling. "What's going on, honey?"

"I don't know." Riley mumbled, her voice weak and laced with tears. "I'm just so tired."

Jane sighed and kissed her daughter's head. "I know."

"I don't understand, I just lie in bed all day and sleep most of the time and I'm so, so tired!"

"Of course you are, honey." Jane replied softly, carefully pulling her daughter close. "Your body is recovering from major surgery, and it's fighting off a terrible infection. Of course you're exhausted."

Riley sniffled and snuggled into her mother's arms. "Makes me cry." She mumbled.

Jane let out a sad laugh and cupped Riley's cheeks to kiss her forehead before pulling her back to her chest again. "You know, your mom does the same when she's tired."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Sometimes she breaks into tears about something really small, just because she's tired. Everything hits harder when you're tired." Jane felt her daughter nodding against her chest and smiled when her tiny arms wrapped around her mother. "And that's okay," Jane added, "I'm here."

Riley nodded again and Jane felt the girl relaxing in her arms as she closed her eyes, already drifting off to sleep. Jane smiled at the feeling of her beautiful daughter in her arms and kissed the top of Riley's head. "I love you, baby." She whispered, but her words fell on deaf ears as Riley had already cried herself to sleep. "I love you so much, I didn't even knew it was possible to feel this kind of love. Along with your mother, you're the most important person in the world to me and I'm so, so happy you're okay."

Suddenly Jane felt a pair of warm lips on her cheek and turned her head to see her wife standing next to the bed, tears shimmering in her hazel eyes. "I love you." Maura whispered.

Jane smiled and pursed her lips, silently asking for another kiss. Maura cupped Jane's cheek and press her lips against her wife's in a loving kiss. She brushed the brunette's hair back and leaned over her to softly kiss Riley's head that still rested on Jane's chest before she sat down in the chair. "How is she?" Maura whispered, careful not to wake their daughter.

"Exhausted." Jane replied, shifting on her back to look at her wife, keeping Riley securely in her arms. "Beyond exhausted."

Maura hummed and looked at her daughter with a loving look in her eyes. "Her tiny body is working way too hard to solve this."

Jane sighed and looked lovingly at her beautiful wife, admiring her stunning eyes, her mouth curled up in a loving but worried smile as the sunlight made her blonde hair shine. "How bad did Pike screw up?"

"Badly." Maura smiled. "He has to redo almost an entire autopsy. He contaminated a DNA sample and made a mistake in the results of the analysis of the stomach contents. Susie was furious, I've never seen her this frustrated." She chuckled but Jane noticed exhaustion in her wife's beautiful eyes.

"I bet they can't wait for you to come back."

"Yeah." Maura whispered. "The same goes for you, Jane. Nina asked about Riley and about you, as well as Korsak. He said it's rather boring without you."

Jane smiled and untangled one arm from her daughter to lace her fingers with Maura's. "I don't even miss it." She whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Normally, when I'm out of the field for a few days, I get frustrated and fussy. But now… It's like I don't even care. I mean, I want to keep myself updated and know what's going on… But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world than right here with her."

Maura brushed some hair out of her wife's face and smiled lovingly. "I know what you mean." She whispered. "Although I can't wait to take her home. I'm sick of hospitals."

"You're a doctor." Jane smirked.

"There's a reason I only work on dead people, Jane." Maura smiled and wiped Jane's knuckles with her thumb. "Living patients are terrifying."

"Yeah." Jane whispered. "Dead people don't get appendicitis and scary infections and stuff like that."

Maura pulled her chair closer to the bed and gently placed her hand on Riley's cheek, softly stroking it with her thumb. "You know, when you shot yourself in front of BPD?" She whispered. "I was just as scared as I was at the beginning of this week. I remember taking you into the ambulance, sitting next to you by your bed, hoping, praying you would open your eyes."

"You never told me about that, Maur." 

Maura shrugged. "You didn't know how much I loved you back then. I didn't know you loved me back." She smiled when she wiped a tear from Jane's cheek. "I recognize the same, horrible feeling." She whispered. "That awful fear of not knowing what's going to happen, feeling that powerless, not able to do anything, waiting until the person you love finally opens her eyes… It's excruciating."

"It's not like that anymore, Maur." Jane whispered in a husky voice. "She's okay. She's gonna be fine."

Maura nodded and looked lovingly at their daughter in Jane's arms. "I know."

Riley could only be dismissed from the hospital after she had proper bowel movements and her fever had completely dropped, which was the case after four more days. Jane and Maura were incredibly happy to take their daughter home, and of course Maura took up almost fifteen minutes covering Riley in blankets and kisses, making absolutely sure she was comfortable in her bed.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Maura asked for the third time since they got home.

"I told you, mom." Riley answered with a smile. "I'm fine. I have a bit of a headache and I'm nauseous, but other than that I'm fine."

Maura sighed and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Let me get you some tea."

Jane smiled at the sight of her fidgeting wife, knowing that Maura was feeling worried and slightly uncomfortable; wanting to make sure Riley had everything she needed. Jane sat down at the edge of the bed, closely next to her daughter as she brushed the girl's hair back, feeling her finally cool forehead. "I'm so happy you're home." Jane said softly.

Riley smiled and slowly slumped down, nuzzling in her blankets to get comfortable. "Me too. I don't like hospitals."

Jane hummed and pressed her lips against Riley's temple. "I don't like seeing you in one." She smiled when she saw her daughter resting her head against the headboard of her bed, closing her eyes in exhaustion. "You have to go to sleep after you finish drinking your tea, alright?"

"It's just after noon." Riley softly protested.

"Yeah, and you need a nap." Jane smirked and looked over her shoulder to see her wife entering Riley's bedroom, holding a damping mug of tea.

"Here you go, honey." Maura handed Riley the tea and sat down at the foot of the bed. "Make sure you drink all of it, okay?"

Riley nodded and carefully took a small sip. "Ma, can you maybe grab the sixth Harry Potter book from the shelf over there?"

"Sure." Jane stood up from the bed towards Riley's collection of all the Harry Potter books, smiling when she remembered how Maura had bought them for her on her second day in the Rizzoli-Isles household. It had made the girl unbelievably happy and she had wrapped Maura up in a spontaneous embrace, the first of many, many loving hugs. "Which one is that?"

"The Half-Blood Prince."

Jane nodded and grabbed the book, handing it to her daughter. "Thanks." Riley smiled and opened the book with one hand as she sipped the hot tea with her other.

"Are you sure you're okay in here?" Maura asked again.

"Yeah."

Maura stood up from the bed and sighed deeply. "We'll be right downstairs when you need us."

Riley had already opened the book and just hummed. "I know."

"Don't read for too long, you need to sleep for a while, remember?'

"Yeah."

Jane was about to follow her wife to the hallway, when she heard Riley's soft voice stopping them. "Wait."

She turned around and smiled at the sight of her daughter reaching out her arms for her mothers, asking them into an embrace. "What happened to sleep well-hugs?" Riley asked.

Jane laughed and walked towards the girl, followed closely by her wife as they both wrapped their arms around their daughter. "I love you, sweetheart." Maura said softly.

"Love you too." Riley replied as she broke the embrace and relaxed back into the pillows.

Jane followed her wife downstairs and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist from behind as soon as they reached the kitchen. She brushed Maura's blonde curls back and placed open-mouthed kisses on her neck. "Have I told you today how beautiful you are?"

Maura hummed and leaned into the embrace. "I'm wearing an old pair of jeans, I didn't do my hair and I smell like hospital."

Jane shrugged and let her hands roam over Maura's sides as she continued her soft kisses on Maura's neck. "You're still breathtaking." She turned her wife around in her arms and brushed her hair back, looking deeply into big, sparkling hazel eyes. She traced Maura's cheekbone with her thumb and followed her jaw, cupping her chin to capture her lips in a loving kiss. She admired the way her blonde curls looked a little out of control, more frizzy than usual, but still gorgeous as ever. She let her hands wander lower to feel her wife's perfect curves underneath her tight fitting shirt and loose jeans, an outfit that looked incredibly sexy on the doctor. Jane loved her wife in her usual, put together, fashionable and fancy outfits, but seeing something entirely different gave her a whole new appreciation for her wife's endless beauty. "Stunning." Jane breathed out as she shamelessly ogled her wife.

Maura cupped Jane's cheek and looked at her with shimmering eyes. She didn't speak, and in stead just pressed her lips against her wife's in a slow and loving kiss. "I love you, Jane."

Jane smiled and strengthened her grip around Maura's waist, hearing her wife squeal when she lifted her off her feet and sat her down on the kitchen counter. "I love you too." Jane captured her soft lips in a heated kiss as she grabbed the hem of Maura's shirt; slowly attempting to lift it off her head while she placed slow, wet kisses along her wife's collarbone.

"Jane." Maura moaned. "Riley's right upstairs."

"She's probably sleeping by now." Jane smirked and moved her trail of kisses to Maura's soft, freckled chest.

"I don't know, Jane."

Jane stopped her kisses and looked at her wife. "Alright, let me check." Maura laughed as Jane ran upstairs, leaving her wife flushed on the kitchen counter. She walked down the hall and quietly opened Riley's bedroom door, her head slowly peaking through. She saw her daughter lying on her side, her arm draped over her still open book, a half full cup of tea on her nightstand. Jane smiled and couldn't resist walking into the room and softly pressing her lips against her daughter's temple.

She quietly walked away and closed the door, running back downstairs to see Maura standing in the kitchen, impatiently waiting for her wife. "Out like a light." Jane smirked.

In an instant, Maura's shirt was on the floor and her arms were wrapped around her wife's neck, pulling her in for a desperate, heated kiss. "Oh, I missed you babe." Jane moaned.

An hour and a half later, Maura was searching for her clothes that were thrown around the room as Jane sat on the couch, putting on her own clothes. "Jane, where did you leave my pants?"

Jane chuckled and stood up to zip up her pants and looked behind the couch, searching for her wife's pants. "Here you go." Jane grabbed the pants and threw them towards her wife, causing Maura to walk towards her and give her a sweet kiss.

"Can you go check on Riley, please? You should wake her if she's sleeping, she needs to take her medicine." Maura asked while she put on her jeans. "I'll prepare it."

Jane nodded and stood up from the couch to walk upstairs, softly knocking on Riley's door, but not getting a response. She quietly opened the door and saw her daughter sleeping in the exact same position as she was a while ago. Jane softly placed her hand on Riley's upper arm to wake her. "Riley, baby." She said softly. "Wake up."

Riley sighed deeply and opened her eyes before she smiled up at her mother on the edge of the bed. "You need to take your medicine."

The girl groaned and slowly sat up against the headboard. "Makes me nauseous."

"I know, honey." Jane whispered. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her close. "But you have to take them."

"I know."

Jane carefully rocked them back and forth and kissed the side of her daughter's head, feeling incredibly happy to be out of the hospital, to have the opportunity to make love to her wife again and be at home with her precious family.

Suddenly the sound of the doorbell ringing startled them, and they heard faint voices coming from downstairs before Maura's head peaked through the bedroom door. "Hello, my loves." She greeted them with a smile. "Riley, I have your medicine and a visitor."

"Hey." Sarah walked into the room with a beaming smile on her face, holding a few books and a small stack of paper.

Riley untangled herself from her mother and looked at her best friend with a happy smile. "Hey!" She greeted her.

"I brought you homework." Sarah crunched her nose but smiled as Riley invited her to sit on the bed.

Jane stood up and urged Riley to take the medicine Maura offered her while she talked to her friend. "How are you feeling?" Sarah asked.

"Tired, nauseous… It still hurts but it's not that bad anymore."

Sarah nodded and watched her friend reluctantly taking her medicine. Maura took back the now empty glass and kissed the top of Riley's head. "Good girl." She whispered.

"Sarah," Jane asked hesitantly, "do your parents know you're here?"

Sarah sighed and looked down at her fumbling hands. Maura looked at her wife and smiled. "I already asked that question. They don't."

"I told them I was doing homework at a friend's. It's not a lie." Sarah replied, sounding hopeful, but Jane noticed a hint of sadness in her voice.

"As much as I love that you come over for Riley, I can't condone you coming here without your parents knowing, Sarah." Maura said softly as she sat down on the bed, behind Sarah to make eye contact.

"But mom, she's fine here. It's not like something bad is gonna happen." Riley carefully protested.

"I know, honey." Maura sighed. "And I know you're both old enough to take care of yourself and make your own decisions, but you're both still 14 and your parents need to know where you are."

Jane stepped behind her wife and placed her hands on Maura's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze to silently show her support. Suddenly Jane saw a tear trickling down Sarah's cheek and she immediately felt sorry for the girl. "I just want to visit my best friend." Sarah said softly.

"You can." Riley assured her. "We'll convince your parents someday."

Sarah smiled and wiped the tear from her cheek. "Yeah." She said with a smile.

Maura placed her hand on her chest, looking at the girl with sympathetic eyes. "You can come over whenever you like, Sarah. You're always welcome here. I just want you to let your parents know where you are so they don't get worried. I can't even imagine how concerned I'd be if I didn't know where Riley was."

"Yeah, but you're already worried if I'm in the bathroom for longer than five minutes." Riley giggled.

"Yes, that's true, but we've only been parents for less than a year." Maura defended herself, causing Jane to chuckle and squeeze her shoulders again. "I'm serious, Sarah. We love having you around and I know Riley does too, but you can't lie to your parents."

Sarah nodded and dapped her damp eyes with her sleeve. "I won't." She looked at Maura and smiled politely. "Thanks."

Maura smiled back and rubbed the girl's back. "Can I give you a hug?" She asked sweetly.

Sarah laughed and nodded. "Sure."

Maura wrapped her arms around the blonde girl and pulled her into a short but loving hug. "It'll be alright, dear." She said softly.

Sarah pulled back and took a deep breath. "Thanks."

Jane smiled and patted Maura's shoulders, guiding her to leave their daughter alone with her friend. "C'mon, Maur. Let's leave the girls alone to catch up."

Maura nodded and followed Jane out of the room. Jane smiled when she heard Riley and Sarah laughing, followed by Riley's soft but happy voice. "Told you my mom gives the best hugs."

Maura looked over her shoulder with a proud smile and Jane stopped her at the bottom of the stairs to wrap her arms around her wife, hugging her close. "She's right, you know."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Good morning, birthday girl!" Maura said as she slowly entered her daughter's bedroom.

Riley sighed and turned around to face her mother, slowly opening her eyes. "Hey." She said in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

Maura sat down on the edge of the bed and kissed Riley's forehead as the girl sat up against the headboard. "I can't believe our little girl is already 15."

"Mom." Riley furrowed her brow and crunched her nose at the sentimentality.

Maura laughed and pulled her daughter in for a loving hug. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Good."

Maura smiled and rubbed Riley's back, not wanting to let go of the embrace. It had been two weeks since Riley got back from the hospital, and she was still on rather strong medicine, which exhausted her tiny body as it fought to keep off the infection from her ruptured appendix. She had been going back to school the past few days, but she could only take half days. Maura or Jane would pick her up right before lunch and by then, the girl was already exhausted. Her stomach still slightly hurt, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago.

Riley snuggled in her mother's arms and relaxed, almost drifting back to sleep again as her head rested on Maura's shoulder. "No honey, don't go back to sleep now." Maura chuckled. "Your ma's waiting downstairs with breakfast."

"Let me guess." Riley mumbled. "Wheat bran?"

Maura sighed and pulled her daughter close. It wasn't the birthday breakfast they wanted to give her, but Riley wasn't ready to eat everything yet, and could only eat solid foods if it contained a lot of fibers, which is why wheat bran was pretty much the only thing she ate for breakfast lately. "I know baby, but your bowels aren't ready for pancakes yet."

Riley sighed against her mother. "I know." She whispered. She rested her head on Maura's shoulder and nuzzled in close to the blonde. "Mom? Am I too old for this now?"

Maura laughed and rubbed her daughter's back. "No, honey. You're never too old for snuggles." Maura enjoyed her small daughter in her arms. She knew Riley was quite childlike for her age due too the environment in which she grew up, but the doctor didn't really want her daughter getting older anyway. She was perfect just the way she was. She was especially affectionate with both her mothers, after growing up with her abusive father, and not being used to any kind of physical affection. "I want you to feel free to bury yourselves in our arms whenever you need it, honey. No matter how old you are."

Riley laughed softly and wrapped her skinny arms around her mother as Maura lovingly rubbed her back, feeling the bones sticking out under her daughter's shirt. She had lost way too much weight since the surgery and she was getting dangerously skinny. "I love you, my sweet birthday-baby." Maura smiled.

"I wish I could have cake." Riley smirked.

"You can have as much cake as you like once your better."

"As much as I like?" Riley chuckled against Maura's chest.

"Yes. Although I'd have to make sure it's organic and contains enough fibers and at least some fruit."

"That's not cake."

"Yes, it is!" Maura smiled and rocked her daughter back and forth. "I can make a delicious carrot cake that will make your mouth water."

Riley pulled back and scrunched her nose. "Carrots? In a cake?"

Maura laughed and kissed her daughter's forehead before gently pulling her up from the bed. "C'mon, your Ma's waiting for you with your presents."

The word 'presents' spurred the girl on and she quickly got out of bed, which made Maura chuckle at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Put some socks on, please." Maura urged her, not wanting her to get cold.

"It's May, mom."

"Yes, and the mornings are still quite cold." Maura looked over her shoulder, stopping in the doorway. "Put on a pair of socks."

Riley stumbled as she walked and put a sock on at the same time, causing Maura to stop the girl in her movements. "Honey, don't do that!" She put her hand on Riley's upper back. "Be careful."

Riley hummed and nodded, using her mother for support so she could properly put her socks on. Maura kissed Riley's temple and hummed as she finished. "C'mon, my love."

"Good morning, birthday girl!" Jane happily greeted her daughter and wife as they entered the kitchen. Riley walked into her mother's open arms and accepted a loving kiss on her cheek. "Happy birthday, honey." Jane whispered.

Riley smiled and sat down at the kitchen counter, reluctantly starting her breakfast while Jane handed Maura a cup of coffee. "Thanks, gorgeous." Maura whispered with a loving smile as she accepted a sweet kiss from her wife. She put her coffee on the kitchen counter and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck to pull her in a loving embrace.

"Moms?" Riley asked, looking up from her buzzing phone.

"Hmm?" Maura loosened her grip and looked over at her daughter, her wife's arms still wrapped around her waist.

"Is it okay if some guys from the team come over tonight? For my birthday?"

Maura pursed her lips and looked back at her wife, silently asking for permission. Jane just shrugged and looked at Maura with a questioning look in her eyes. Maura sighed deeply and turned back to her daughter. "I don't know, honey. You still need a lot of rest."

"I know, and they know that too. Just for a few hours." Riley looked at her mothers with a pleading look in her wide, clear blue eyes. "Please?"

Maura felt her wife squeezing her sides, signaling that she wanted to give in. "How many 'guys' are we talking about?" Maura asked.

Riley shrugged. "I don't know, Sarah texted me to say that Thomas told Olivia that Patricia said to Josh that they should visit me on my birthday."

Maura narrowed her eyes to try and process that information. "So, I heard… five names."

"Yeah. Maybe a little more, but it's not like there'll be dozens of people here." Riley talked fast, trying to convince her mother, already knowing that she had convinced Jane moments ago. However, the girl knew that if Maura didn't allow it, it wouldn't happen. "Please, mom? I'm so happy that they want to come over." She said a little quieter.

Maura sighed and walked around the kitchen counter to brush her daughter's hair back. "I just don't want you to overstep your boundaries, honey. Having company exhausts you, and usually, you're asleep before it's even 9pm."

Riley looked up at her mother with a slight pout, widening her eyes in attempt to look as cute and convincing as possible. "Please? I'll tell them to leave on time."

Maura heard her wife chuckling behind her and looked at her as she tilted her head. "C'mon, Maur." Jane said softly.

The doctor sighed and looked at her daughter, her brow furrowed in thought. "Alright then." She gave in.

Riley squealed and jumped up to throw her arms around Maura's neck. "Yay! Thanks, mom, I love you."

Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Be careful honey, don't jump up like that."

Riley didn't reply and just squeezed her mother close for a moment before she broke the embrace and sat back down to continue eating her breakfast. Jane clapped her hands together and walked towards the living room, getting a small package out of a drawer. "Alright, time for presents."

Riley turned around in a chair and Maura saw her mouth curling up in a happy smile, her eyes sparkling with gratefulness. The girl just couldn't get used to the fact that she had people in her life who were willing to spend money on her, to take time to think about a present she'd like and buy it for her. They had gone a little overboard with the presents this time, but especially Maura just couldn't resist.

"This is your first present, it's the most sentimental one so I thought we'd just get that out of the way." Jane smirked and handed her daughter the neatly wrapped package.

Riley slowly grabbed the present but kept her eyes on her mother. "You got me more than one present?" She asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Oh, yeah, Maura Isles only gets people at least ten presents at a time." Jane smirked, causing Maura to playfully slap her arm.

"That's not true, Jane." Maura glared at her wife but soon turned her loving gaze towards her daughter again. "Open it, honey."

Riley smiled and tore the paper off the package, revealing a small black box. She opened it and pulled out a small, classy silver charm bracelet. Immediately tears sprung in her blue eyes.

Maura stepped towards her daughter and wrapped her arm around the girl's bony shoulders. "We picked out the charms." Maura explained, "We picked a soccer ball because, well, you love soccer and you're so good at it." She smiled and touched the next charm on the bracelet. "There are two hearts on it, one is me and one is your Ma because we love you more than anything in this world," She moved on to the next bracelet, hearing her daughter sniffling and wiping her cheek. "This is a fist because it's meant to remind you of how incredibly strong you are, this is a tree to symbolize our brand new family, and this is a butterfly to remind you of how beautiful you are."

When Maura was finished she heard the soft sniffles continuing and felt a tiny arm wrapping around her waist as Riley pulled both her mothers in for a grateful hug. "It's beautiful." Riley whispered. "Thank you so much."

Maura pressed her lips against her daughter's temple and met her wife's loving gaze for a second before she moved to look at Riley again. "You like it?"

"Oh my gosh, yes." Riley said, still baffled by the beautiful gift. "It's the most amazing gift I've ever gotten."

"Can you put it on?" Riley asked, handing the bracelet to Jane. Jane nodded and fastened the bracelet around the girl's small wrist, happy to see that it fit.

"It looks great on you, sweetie." Jane said as she looked at the small bracelet.

Riley smiled and shifted her wrist, watching the bracelet shine in the light. "It's beautiful." She whispered again.

Maura laughed lovingly and couldn't keep herself from kissing her daughter's cheek, admiring her small face beaming with gratefulness. "And this is just your firs present." She walked towards the hallway and grabbed a few bags from the hall closet.

Riley continued to be baffled by the presents her mother bought for her. She unwrapped a box with new shoes; light blue Converse All Stars, her favorite shoes in her favorite color, along with a pair of new jeans, basically just because she needed them. But her biggest present was about to come up.

"Okay, last but not least, I want you to follow me." Maura said with a knowing smile.

"You got me _another_ present?" Riley asked in disbelief. "No way, it's way too much, mom."

Maura just waved the argument away and took Riley's wrist to lead her into what used to be the downstairs guest bedroom. Before she could open the door, Jane stopped them and covered her daughter's eyes. "Don't look yet."

Maura smiled at her wife and slowly opened the door, guiding Riley inside. "Ready?" Jane asked.

"Yeah."

"Alright." Maura nodded at her wife, signaling her to remove her hands. "Happy birthday, love."

Riley's mouth fell open when she saw a classy, black piano standing against the wall. Her mouth stayed open as she stepped towards the instrument, stroking the shining black surface with her hand. "You-… You bought a piano?" She whispered.

"Yes." Maura replied with a beaming smile. "Your ma remembered that on the day we first met you, you told us you used to play the piano. We thought it would be a nice opportunity for you to pick it up again."

Riley nodded but didn't reply. She stood with her back to her mothers and Maura heard a soft sniffle. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, no, I'm fine. Thank you, this is great." Riley's voice was laced with tears and Maura heard sadness instead of the happiness she had been hearing this morning.

"You're not fine, baby." Jane whispered as she slowly approached the crying girl. "What's the matter?" She put her hands on Riley's upper arms and gently spun her around to look into her bright blue eyes.

Riley wiped her cheek and shook her head. "You just… You're spending so much money on me." She said softly, her voice broken and weak.

"No, honey. It's not a brand new piano, we got it second-hand." Maura said in a desperate tone in attempt to comfort her daughter while she moved to stand next to her.

"Yeah, but pianos are still expensive." Riley hiccupped and frantically wiped her cheeks again. "And along with everything else… My dad could've bought drugs for months with that money."

Maura felt tears burning in her eyes as her throat closed up. It had been a long time since Riley even mentioned her father. She rarely talked about it anymore, except for when she went to therapy. "Baby…" Maura whispered. "I'm sorry."

"No." Riley said a little louder. "It's not your fault, I'm sorry, thank you."

Jane moved her hands from her daughter's upper arms to wrap them around the girl, Riley resting her head on her mother's chest, hiding in Jane's strong arms. "It's overwhelming, isn't it?" Jane asked softly.

Riley didn't reply and just nodded against Jane's chest, causing the detective to smile knowingly. "I'm not completely used to it either." She spoke softly, soothingly rubbing her daughter's back as she rested her chin on top of Riley's head. "My family didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up, my dad was desperately trying to tie the ends together with his plumbing business while my mom was at home taking care of three kids. But your mom just grew up in a different world."

Even though Maura knew her wife meant well and just wanted to explain the situation to their daughter, Jane's words still hurt the doctor. Maura remembered the struggles that had occurred because of their different background and she felt a painful sting in her chest at the memory. It made her feel left out.

"Your grandparents on the Isles-side of the family always had a lot of money. They have very good jobs and come from a wealthy background. When I first started dating your mom, she would buy me presents and it would make me mad." Jane said softly, her voice calm and soothing. "It would make me angry to know that all that money could be put to so much better use. And we used to fight about that, a lot. And it's still difficult for me sometimes."

Riley pulled back and looked up at her mother, her cheeks wet from tears but her eyes wide as she listened intently to her mother's words. Jane smiled lovingly and brushed a strand of hair out of her daughter's face. "But you know, it's all out of love. It's all out of pure, unconditional, endless love."

Riley nodded. "I know." She whispered.

Jane smiled and kissed the girl's forehead. "It feels unfair, doesn't it?"

Maura felt her stomach tying in a knot when she saw her daughter nodding her head. She never meant to cause anyone any pain. She just always had the money; she never questioned that until she met Jane. It wasn't until Jane became her friend that she learned that it could be hard for some people to deal with.

"It feels unfair because you didn't have any money growing up, when you needed it so badly. And now you have all you could possibly ask for and more." Jane filled in the words for her daughter, the words the girl herself couldn't speak.

"I don't need money or presents." Riley whispered. "I just need you and Mom."

Maura felt hot tears burning in her eyes and wiped her cheek when a few of them made their way down. She felt her heart bursting with love, but the ache in her stomach didn't go away.

"It's not that I don't like it." Riley continued. "I just…"

"You're getting so much more than you ever asked for." Jane finished for her and Riley nodded. "All you wanted was a loving family and now you get so much more, and it's hard to deal with all that because it's so overwhelming." Jane lovingly wiped a tear that fell down her daughter's cheek. "All you need is your moms' hugs and now they bought you a piano."

Riley let out a soft laugh and allowed Jane to pull her back to her chest again. "I know, honey." Jane whispered. "I get it. But you know, all that money doesn't matter. It may make you feel uncomfortable right now, and overwhelmed, but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that she bought you all this with the best intentions. She does it out of love, baby. Pure, unconditional love and she has so much of it. That's the only thing that's important. It's not money, or wealth or fancy clothes. It's the never-ending love that counts." Jane pulled back again to wipe her daughter's tears and kiss her forehead. "And this woman," she pointed at Maura standing next to them, "she has so much love. So, so much of it. And she loves you with all she has."

Riley turned her head towards her mother and Maura met with shimmering blue eyes, filled with tears and love. "I do, my baby." She whispered.

Riley nodded and moved away from Jane to wrap her skinny arms around Maura. "I know." She whispered, letting out a shuttering breath. "I'm sorry, mom."

"Don't be sorry, baby. I understand." Maura rubbed her daughter's back and pulled her close, but she couldn't stop her own tears from falling down her cheeks.

Hearing her talk to Jane hurt her, and she couldn't exactly point out why. It made her feel like an outcast in her own family, because she was the one with a different background, a different 'status'. She thought they had moved past this a long time ago, but she realized now that this would never change. She would always be the one to come from a wealthy family while Jane came from a South-Boston, plumbing family. For many people, growing up in a wealthy family would have been the better option but Maura wished she were the one who grew up in a family like Jane's.

Maura sighed deeply and tried to stop her tears, but failed. She kissed her daughter's head that rested on her shoulder while she kept rubbing her back. "I'm sorry, baby. I never think of money as an issue."

"That's because you have it." Jane replied with a soft smile.

"I know." Maura's voice broke and she pulled her daughter close, mostly needing to comfort herself. "I know, and I know it overwhelms you and I shouldn't have gone overboard with the presents, and I'm so sorry."

"No." Riley mumbled. She tried to pull away but Maura didn't allow her, keeping her tight, loving embrace. "Don't be sorry, I love the presents. It's just… I don't know how to respond to it."

Jane stepped towards her wife and daughter and kissed a tear away from Maura's cheek. "You'll get used to it, baby." She whispered to Riley. "I did too. After a few years, I found it completely normal that she'd bought me a new car."

Riley let out a soft chuckle and turned her head to look up at Maura. "You bought Ma a car?" She turned towards Jane and giggled again. "And you found that completely normal?"

"Well, no, not exactly… But I didn't react the way you do now, and that was the way I reacted to most of her previous presents. After a while, you kinda get used to it and you'll learn to appreciate it."

"I already appreciate it." Riley slightly pulled back to make eye contact with Maura. "I'm sorry, I really am grateful. This is all so great… The bracelet, the shoes, the piano… Thank you so much."

Maura smiled and wiped her tears with one hand as she kept her other arm wrapped around her daughter. "You're more than welcome, honey." She kissed her daughter's forehead and pulled her close again. "Just know that it truly comes out of love." She whispered, smiling sadly when she felt Jane's lips pressing against her temple. "It's all out of infinite love."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Jane had been grabbing a beer from the kitchen so many times; Riley's friends probably thought she was an alcoholic. But Jane felt the indomitable urge to frequently check on her daughter and her friends as they were celebrating Riley's birthday downstairs, while her mothers tried to relax in their bedroom. Jane knew it should be no problem to let nine 15-year olds alone in the living room, but she wanted to check up on her daughter, just to make sure she was okay.

Riley had been cheerful and incredibly grateful for the rest of the day, as the family dropped by with sweet gifts and loving birthday wishes. Jane saw Riley was bonding with Angela in a great way. It had taken a while since Angela Rizzoli can be quite overwhelming, but Riley got used to it and she loved her grandmother. Maura had insisted that the girl took a nap around noon, making sure she saved enough energy for the rest of the day. Jane saw the exhaustion in her daughter and she knew she would be tired for at least the three following days, but the girl loved every minute of it.

Walking back to their bedroom with yet another beer and a glass of wine for Maura, Jane saw her wife sitting on the bed, popped up against the headboard as she absentmindedly stared at the TV. Jane knew Maura was hurt by the events from that morning, but up until now, they hadn't had the chance to get into it and Maura just brushed Jane's questions off, saying that she was fine.

But Jane knew that look in her wife's eyes. She saw the pain in the tears that fell down her cheeks that morning. "Hey, beautiful."

Maura smiled up at the brunette and gratefully took the glass. "Thank you." 

Jane sighed and sat down next to her wife, facing her sideways as she crossed her legs on the bed. "Talk to me, Maur." Jane said in a low, husky voice. "What's going on in that genius brain of yours?"

"It's fine, Jane." Maura assured her, giving her wife a well-attempted but fake smile.

"No, it's not. Riley's reaction to her birthday presents hurt you, and it hurt you a lot more than you're showing."

Maura sighed and took a sip of her wine before she put the glass on the nightstand next to her, causing Jane to make a small victory dance in her mind, knowing that she had gotten through. Maura looked at Jane with shimmering eyes filled with pain. "I felt like an outcast." She whispered. "I felt like an outcast in my own family."

"Maur." Jane tried, but the blonde cut her off.

"No, that's how I felt. Don't say that I don't need to feel like that, because I do. I'm the one that's different. I stood there, watching you comforting Riley because of me." Maura broke down in tears and let out a silent sob. "You had to comfort her, because of me."

"Oh no, babe." Jane assured her wife, her heart breaking at the sight of the doctor's tears. "Not because of you. It's just the situation, it's overwhelming for her, that's all."

Maura looked at her wife and Jane smiled at the sight of those beautiful, big hazel eyes that stared at her with love and expectation. "She loves you, Maur. More than anyone. Sometimes I think even more than she loves me." Jane chuckled and quickly continued before Maura could argue with that. "It's just overwhelming, that's all. She's not used to this. It has nothing to do with you."

"Yes it does." Maura whispered. "I'm the spoiled one from the wealthy family with a lot of money."

"Okay, first of all, you're not spoiled. And second of all, your money doesn't all come from your family. You're the Chief Medical Examiner from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That's freaking impressive, Maura. You work hard for it."

Maura showed a small smile and reached to grab Jane's hand, lacing their fingers together. "You work hard too."

"Yeah, but I'm just a cop." Jane shrugged. "But that's not the point. The point is, that you work hard for your money, you're not spoiled, and you buying gifts can be a little overwhelming, but there's no doubt you do it out of love. You buy gifts out of love, you give insane amounts of money to multiple charities and you buy expensive, healthy stink-foods because you love us." Jane smiled and brushed Maura's perfect curls back. "I've never met anyone that has as much love in their heart as you do, babe. You may have a lot of money, but you have an infinite amount of love and that's what counts."

Maura smiled through her tears and squeezed Jane's hand. "Thank you." She whispered. "Although there's no such thing as an 'amount' of love. Love is merely a concept…" Maura stopped talking as Jane interrupted her with a loving kiss.

Jane smiled into the kiss and felt her wife's fingers tangling in her hair as she pulled her close and deepened the kiss. They kissed slowly and lovingly, only breaking apart when their lungs were screaming for air. Jane rested her forehead against Maura's and looked deeply into her beautiful eyes. "I love you, Maur." She whispered.

Maura smiled and kissed the corner of Jane's mouth. "I love you too, Jane." She tried to smooth Jane's unruly, messy curls, something she failed at every time. "I just have to make a few things clear." She said with a smile. "Riley doesn't love me more than she loves you, and I'm not going to have that conversation with you again because you know very well how it will end. And there is no such thing as 'just' a cop. You're the youngest female detective to be promoted to the homicide department and that's a hell of an achievement, Jane."

Jane smiled at her wife's use of profanity and felt her heart bursting with love for the doctor. "Thanks." She whispered.

"I wasn't finished." Maura smiled and chuckled when Jane rolled her eyes. "You save people's life and you put murderers behind bars. That's an incredibly honorable job, Jane. And you're great at it. You're an incredible mother and Riley loves us both to death, as do I." Maura pressed her lips against Jane's in a quick but loving kiss. "Now I'm finished."

Jane chuckled and pulled her wife down on top of her, relaxing against the pillows as she captured her soft lips in a slow, long kiss. She traced her wife's lips with her tongue and Maura did the same, deepening the kiss, moaning slightly at the lovely taste of each other. Jane's hands found their way under Maura's T-shirt, feeling the softness of her skin on her back as Maura roamed her hands along Jane's toned stomach. After years of marriage, kissing this woman still made Jane's head spin and her stomach flutter.

They ended up making out for several minutes, and they almost forget about the group of teenagers downstairs. Suddenly Maura froze and gently pulled away from her wife. "There's someone coming." She rolled off of her wife and straightened her shirt before they heard a soft knock on the door.

"Moms?" Riley voice sounded soft and scared, causing Maura to look at Jane with a worried look.

"Yes, come in, honey."

Riley's head peaked through and she smiled shyly. "Can I sit with you for a while?"

"Of course." Jane patted the spot in between them on the bed, inviting her daughter to sit down.

Riley climbed up on the bed and nestled closely in between her mothers as Maura kissed her temple. "What's wrong, my love?" She whispered.

"Nothing."

"Then how come you're in here and not downstairs?" Jane asked softly, carefully pressing on.

Riley didn't reply and just shrugged. Jane sighed deeply and brushed the girl's brown hair back. "Are you not having fun?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Then what is it?"

Riley sighed and lowered her knees, fumbling with her hands in her lap. "I'm just a little tired and it's a little overwhelming, so I just want to sit here for a few minutes to try and get to myself and get my mind together and then I'll go back downstairs and everything will be fine."

Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her down to her chest as the girl snuggled in close. "I understand." She whispered. "I understand so well."

"You do?"

"Yes I do. I used to do the same. I still do sometimes. Sometimes I just need a little time to myself, some time alone with my thoughts."

Riley smiled and leaned close into her mother's arms. "Yeah, exactly. Just for a few minutes."

Maura smiled and they sat in silence for a while, staring at the TV, watching a quite uninteresting program. After a while, Maura shifted Riley from her arms to Jane's. "I'm sorry, I really need to go to the bathroom." She smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead before moving to kiss her wife's lips.

"No need to be sorry, I'm happy to take over." Jane smiled and gathered the girl in her arms. Riley immediately curled up into her side and nuzzled in close, enjoying the quietness and closeness for a few moments before Maura came back.

After about five minutes, Riley took a deep breath and untangled herself from Jane's arms. "Okay, I'm going back now."

Maura smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. "Don't eat popcorn or chips." She said softly but sternly. "And don't overstep your boundaries, listen to your body. It's still working really hard to get better."

Riley rolled her eyes and was about to argue when a soft voice came from the hallway. "Riley? Are you up here?"

"Yeah, I'm in here." Riley called as she crawled to the foot of the bed.

Sarah slowly opened the door and smiled at her friend. "Hey, I was worried about you."

"No need, I'm fine." Riley smiled up at the girl.

"Well, _Josh _asked about you, so I think you should get downstairs."

"Oh my gosh, really?" Riley asked with wide eyes and Jane saw her face lighting up in excitement, causing the detective to wiggle her eyebrows at her wife.

"Who's Josh?" Jane asked in a light voice.

"No one, just some guy we know from school and soccer." Riley shrugged and stood up from the bed, walking around it to quickly kiss her mother's cheeks. "Thanks moms."

"You're welcome, love." Maura smiled and sweetly patted her upper leg. "Go downstairs, enjoy your birthday. It'll be over in three hours."

"Yeah." Riley chuckled and followed Sarah outside of the bedroom. "So, what did he say about me?" She asked, thinking she was out of hearing distance.

Maura chuckled and looked at her wife with a loving smile. "Looks like she really likes Josh."

Jane furrowed her brow and hummed, not liking this situation at all. "Yeah." She looked at her almost full beer bottle and swirled the substance around in it. "I think I need another beer."

"Jane," Maura smiled and placed her hand on her wife's upper arm to stop her from standing up, "Riley's a responsible girl, and so are her friends. You don't need to interrogate them."

Jane grunted and relaxed back against the pillows, taking a large swig of her beer. "_Josh _is a bad guy's name."

Maura laughed and turned to kiss Jane's neck. "No, it's not."

"I just don't like it, Maur! Why does he ask about her when she leaves for only five minutes? What's that about? What does he want?" She felt truly angry and concerned, but her wife just kept on laughing. "What?" She barked a little too harsh.

"I'm sorry, Jane." Maura kissed the corner of her wife's mouth and brushed her hair back. "You're just incredibly adorable when you get overprotective like this."

Jane softened her expression and accepted another kiss from her wife. "I'm not." She murmured.

"Yes, you are." Maura chuckled. "There's nothing going on, babe. She's just with friends."

"She's only fifteen and she has a crush on some guy named _Josh._"

"Okay, first of all, where does you aversion towards the name 'Josh' come from? And second of all, she's fifteen so of courseshe's having a crush! It's only natural as pubertal hormones are gearing through her body."

Jane hummed and sipped her beer. "I don't like it."

"Of course you don't." Maura laughed.

After two hours and three more beers, Riley's friends left and the girl was alone downstairs cleaning up as her mothers walked into the living room. "Did you have a good time?" Maura asked.

"Yeah." Riley smiled and cleared away some glasses and a half-eaten bowl of popcorn. She saw Maura looking at the bowl, raising her eyebrows so Riley chuckled softly. "Don't worry mom, I didn't eat it."

"So…" Jane hesitated as she put a few glasses in the dishwasher. "How was Josh?"

Riley looked up at her mother with a shocked look on her face. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, just wondering." Jane shrugged.

"He's fine."

"And…?"

Riley snapped towards Jane, looking rather annoyed. "What, Ma? There's no 'and'…!"

"Okay, okay!" Jane defended herself as she grabbed a dirty plate from the counter. "I'm just curious."

"Well, don't be."

"Riley, don't be rude, please." Maura corrected her daughter.

"Sorry."

Jane sighed and took a few dirty glasses from her daughter. "How are you feeling?" She asked, eager to change the subject.

"Tired, and my stomach hurts a little."

That caught Maura's attention and she immediately walked towards the girl and placed her hands on her stomach. "Where does it hurt?"

Riley shrugged. "Just down here." She pointed at a place at the bottom of her stomach, guiding Maura's hands down there to examine it.

Maura gently pressed in different places, studying her daughter's reaction to the slight pressure. "Does this hurt?"

Riley flinched and hissed slightly. "Yeah, down there."

Maura sighed and removed her hands to kiss her daughter's temple. "That seems normal, shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Riley nodded and leaned sideways in her mother's arms as she suppressed a yawn. "You should go to bed, baby." Maura whispered.

"But I'm not finished cleaning up." Riley mumbled into Maura's shoulder.

Jane closed the dishwasher and grabbed a dishcloth from the counter. "We'll finish it, you go to sleep."

Riley nodded and rubbed her eyes, too tired to argue. "Okay." She accepted a sweet kiss on her cheek from Maura and hugged her close for a moment before she walked towards her other mother to wrap her skinny arms around her. "Goodnight, Ma."

Jane smiled and pulled her daughter close. "Goodnight, baby."

"It was the best birthday I've ever had."

"I'm glad." Jane hummed and cupped Riley's head to kiss her forehead. "I love you, honey."

Riley put her hand in front of her mouth as she let out a large yawn. "I love you too." She mumbled. "G'night, mom."

"Sleep well, love." Maura watched their daughter walking upstairs and Jane saw a look of raw, pure motherly love in her big hazel eyes, causing the detective to step towards her wife and wrap her arms around the blonde's waist from behind.

Maura hummed contently and leaned back into Jane's arms, turning her head to accept a deep and loving kiss. Jane sighed deeply and felt butterflies tickling in her stomach at the feeling of kissing the love of her life. "Can we finish that make-out session now?" She whispered.

"Hmm, that and more, detective."

The next morning, Jane woke up feeling a delicious ache in her entire body. She slowly sat up and stretched her sore muscles, smiling at the memory of their lovely night. They didn't end up getting a lot of sleep, but the detective hadn't felt this satisfied in a very long time. She felt Maura's side of the bed being cold and heard the shower running, and she briefly considered the option of joining her wife, but she decided to go downstairs and make breakfast for her family in stead.

When she reached the kitchen, she heard the faint sound of piano music coming from what used to be a guest bedroom. Getting curious, the brunette followed the music and carefully opened the door to see her daughter sitting with her back towards her mother, her small, slim fingers caressing the keys in a gentle but determined way, playing a simple but beautiful melody. Jane leaned against the doorway and felt hot tears burning in her eyes as she watched her daughter. Riley's shoulders were relaxed and Jane couldn't see her face, but she knew it looked at peaceful as the rest of her body, finally. Too often, Jane had seen the tension in Riley's shoulders and face, the pain in her eyes and the angst in her expression.

After a while, the melody changed into something familiar, causing Jane to walk away from the doorway and carefully slid next to her daughter on the piano stool. It startled Riley for a moment, but when Jane started playing a counterpoint melody, she saw the girl's mouth curling up in a slight smile and she kept playing.

When the song finished they stayed silent for a while, both surprised and contently enjoying the moment. Suddenly Jane heard a soft sniffle and she snapped her attention to her daughter, seeing silent tears trickling down her cheeks. "What's the matter, baby?" She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and looked into her daughter's bright blue eyes.

"Nothing." Riley shrugged and smiled a sad smile. "Nothing." She repeated in a soft whisper.

Jane pressed her lips against the girl's temple and wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her tightly into motherly arms. She softly rocked them back and forth as she rubbed Riley's back, feeling her bones sticking out under her pajama shirt. "Talk to me, honey." Jane whispered.

"They're happy tears." Riley mumbled, keeping her face nuzzled into her mother's shoulder. "The last time I played piano, my father came barging in and started yelling at me, telling me he needed money so he was gonna sell the piano. He yanked me away from it and threw me on the floor to make pictures of it and put it on the Internet for sale."

Jane felt a tear trickling down her cheek at her daughter's words. During the time she had been their daughter, the stories slowly came out one by one, and each and every word felt like a knife stinging her mothers' heart. "Oh baby." Jane whispered.

"I tried to argue with him and I said I wanted to keep playing it and that it wouldn't bring that much money in anyway, since the thing was like a hundred years old and slightly off tune." Riley took a deep, shuttering breath and wrapped her arms around Jane's waist before she continued. "He said he only needed a hundred bugs and he'd be set for the next few days. I said it wasn't fair, and he got mad. He…" Riley hesitated for a moment, but went on after a loving squeeze from Jane. "H-he hit me and said I was only getting in his way, and that I was useless and stupid and I didn't understand him. I said I did understand, he only wanted drugs and didn't care about anything else, and that did it."

Jane sniffled and kissed the top of her daughter's head. She was afraid to ask what happened, already knowing the answer would break her heart. "Honey…" Jane whispered barely audible.

"It was one of the worst beat ups I can remember. He beat me so hard I was dizzy, and he burned me all over my back, so bad that I couldn't sleep for weeks." Riley's voice was a soft whisper, laced with tears and enormous pain.

"He's gone, sweetie." Jane whispered. "He's dead, he can't hurt you anymore."

Riley nodded against her mother and tightened her grip. "He sold the piano for even less than a hundred dollars. A man and a woman picked it up at our house, and they said that it was for their daughter. I asked about her and they said she was 11 years old, a little bit older than I was at that time. When they talked about her, they seemed so proud… They were so proud that their daughter could play the piano…"

Riley shivered and snuggled closely into Jane's arms while Jane pulled her impossibly closer. "I remember I locked myself in the bathroom and cried for so long I thought I was going to flood the entire house." Riley chuckled sadly and untangled one arm from around Jane's waist to wipe her cheek before snuggling back again. "I thought it was so unfair, that this girl had two parents who loved her and were so proud of her, just because she was playing the piano, and I had no one. I just had a dad who didn't give a single crap about me. And now…" Riley hesitated and moved a little in Jane's arms, taking a deep breath. "And now I have the same as that girl. It's not unfair anymore."

"No, it's not." Jane whispered, lacking a better answer, still trying to process Riley's words.

"Now _I'm _that girl." Riley said softly, still buried her Jane's strong arms. "I'm that girl with parents who can afford to buy a piano, parents who are proud and loving and cool and sweet and all that."

"Yes you are." Jane pulled back to cup her daughter's face and brush her hair out of her face, still messy from sleeping. "And your mom and I are those parents who can't stop talking about how amazing their daughter is and how well she plays the piano and how much we love her." She looked deeply into her daughter's light blue eyes, filled with tears.

"Thank you." Riley whispered.

Jane smiled at the girl's heartfelt words. The brunette couldn't remember a single time she thanked her parents for loving her. It always appeared so normal. It wasn't until they adopted Riley that Jane realized how unusual it is for some people. How for some children, it's everything but normal to be loved by their parents. She wanted to make sure her daughter knew those days were over. She wanted to make sure Riley knew how loved she was, every minute of every day for the rest of her life.

"I love you, baby." Jane whispered, pulling the girl back to her chest and squeezing her close. "I love you so much. I wish I could take it all away, and I know I can't, but I'm gonna love you so much for the rest of your life, you'll never feel useless, unwanted or unloved again." She felt Riley smiling against her and she covered her head and cheek in sweet kisses, eliciting soft giggles from the girl. "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever." Jane accentuated each playful kiss and tickled her sides until her daughter pulled away, still giggling, a sound that Jane loved to hear more than anything.

Suddenly Maura's head peaked though the door, her hair wet from the shower, her face glowing beautifully with her natural look. "Breakfast is ready." She said with a smile.

Jane helped her daughter up from the stool and smiled at her wife as she walked towards the blonde and pressed a sweet kiss against her lips. Maura happily accepted the brief kiss and looked at her daughter, immediately noticing her obvious red eyes and wet cheeks. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah." Riley answered with a smile as she allowed Maura to kiss her temple. "I'm okay."

_A/N A lot of you have been asking if Sarah and Riley will be a couple, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but they won't. However, we will find out more about Sarah in the next few chapters. Also, there will be another child in this lovely family! I won't spoil anything, but I have quite a few chapters written already and I hope you'll like the turn of events that will happen in a few more chapters. Please let me know your thoughts and feelings about this chapter! It was rather difficult to write… _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Mom, I feel fine! The doctor said I was doing a lot better! Why can't I play soccer?" Riley had placed her hands on the kitchen counter as she talked to her mother who was preparing a healthy salad for dinner.

"You're still on quite strong antibiotics and just because the doctor said you're doing better doesn't mean you can go around playing sports again." Maura stayed calm, looking at her daughter with a stern look on her face.

"But mom…"

"No 'but'." Maura placed her hands on her hips and looked at her daughter with a strict look on her face. "You can't even take more than half a day in school, there's no way you have enough energy to play soccer. Your body is working hard to fight that infection, Riley."

"But…"

"I said no 'but', young lady!" Maura said a lot stricter now. "I say you can't play soccer yet, therefore you're not playing soccer! End of discussion."

Riley let out a high pitched grunt and threw her head back. "Mom! Everything is miserable right now! I can't even deal with a full school day, and I'm already crazy behind on everything, my best friend can't come over and my teammates are taking up 'too much energy'." She rolled her eyes at the last sentence. "What am I supposed to do all day? I want to play soccer again! I want to do _something_!"

"I tell you what you can do, you can go to your room right now!" Maura said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You know you can't talk to me like that, Riley. Go upstairs and I don't want to see you again before dinner."

Riley grunted again and stomped out of the kitchen, on her way upstairs. Maura rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes, just as her wife came back from the bathroom. "Ouch." Jane said, furrowing her brow.

"Oh God." Maura whispered. "Was I too harsh?"

"No." Jane stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, sweetly kissing her lips. "You were right to send her to her room."

"I didn't mean to get so angry." Maura whispered.

Jane shrugged. "You said 'end of discussion' and she tried to start the discussion again. She was rude and she should've just listened to you."

Maura sighed and rested her head in the crook of her wife's neck, breathing in her lover's scent. "I've never been so strict with her." She whispered.

"You have to be sometimes, she's a teenager."

Maura pulled back to look at her detective and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Yes, she is. But she's anything but a regular teenager, Jane."

"Well, this was a typical teenage-move from her, so I'd say that's a good sign." Jane smiled and kissed the corner of Maura's mouth.

Maura sighed and rested her head back in the crook of Jane's neck, her favorite spot in the whole wide world. "I know."

She knew her wife was right. Riley was anything but a normal teenager, if that even existed. Usually, girls her age would think parents only exist to make their lives miserable, they'd be worrying about boys, being popular in school and passing classes. They would rather be spending time with their friends, and preferably no time with their family. Riley on the other hand, wanted nothing more than spend time with her mothers, hugging them, hiding in their warm arms and she didn't really care about being popular in school. Riley was anything but a regular teenager and Maura loved that. She loved how her daughter was still quite childlike for her age, how she was affectionate and always asking for their physical love. But she knew it was also healthy for her to express that typical teenage behavior.

"I hate being strict with her." Maura whispered.

"I know." Jane pressed her lips against her wife's temple and pulled her close. "But she needs it, Maur. We need to keep our foot down."

"Mom?" Riley's slowly walked to the kitchen, looking shy with an apologetic look on her face.

Maura sighed and braced herself for 'keeping her foot down', like her wife said. "Riley, I told you to stay in your room until dinner."

"But…"

"Listen to your mom, Riley." Jane added, offering Maura support in saying the things she couldn't at that moment.

Riley let her shoulders hang and walked back upstairs, causing Maura to whimper softly into her wife's chest. "God, I hate it," she whispered.

Maura felt her wife's strong, scarred hands cupping her face as she looked lovingly in her eyes and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. "You're a great mom."

Maura smiled and kissed her wife back for a moment, enjoying her lover's familiar lips and taste. "Even though my daughter hates me?"

"She doesn't hate you." Jane chuckled. "She loves you."

Maura hummed and reluctantly pulled away from her wife. "I hope so. Can you help me cut these up please?" She pointed towards a bag of green beans.

"Sure." 

"Please wash them first."

"It says pre-washed!" The brunette protested.

"Jane." Maura tilted her head and glared at her wife, who knew perfectly well how Maura thought about 'pre-washed' vegetables.

"Alright, alright I'll wash them."

About 45 minutes later, dinner was ready and Maura braced herself to have the necessary conversation with her daughter. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and called the girl down. "Riley, honey! Dinner's ready!"

After a few seconds, she heard her daughter's footsteps down the stairs. She smiled at the girl, hoping to ease the tension, causing Riley to smile back slightly. "Go wash up first, please." Maura said softly.

Riley nodded and washed her hands before sitting down at the head of the table, in between her mothers. Jane scooped some salad on Riley's plate and looked into her eyes. "Riley, I think you should apologize to your mom."

"I know." The girl whispered.

Maura was ready to brush it off, saying that it wasn't necessary and everything was okay, but one look at her wife made her rethink that. She sighed and looked at her daughter, waiting for an apology.

"I'm sorry, mom." Riley said softly as she looked down at her plate, playing with her food. "I know I can't talk to you like that and that 'end of discussion' means I can't ask again. I know I can't play soccer yet, I'm sorry."

"Oh, honey." Maura caved at the sight of the pained expression on her daughter's face and the apologetic look in her beautiful blue eyes. She stood up and pulled her daughter up from her chair, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Thank you for apologizing. I just don't want you to go too fast, honey. You should heal properly."

Riley nodded against her mother's chest and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist. "I know."

Maura kissed the girl's temple before resting her chin on top of her head and lovingly rubbing her back. "I love you, baby girl. And even though I hate it, I'm glad you're acting like a regular teenager."

Riley chuckled and pulled back to look up at her mother. "What?"

The doctor just smiled and pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead, making eye contact with her wife as she looked over Riley's head. "Never mind." Maura smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." Riley smiled and slowly untangled herself to sit back at the table again, taking a bite of her salad. "So… Are you gonna make me eat salads like this for the rest of my life, saying that I need to eat healthy because of my appendix?"

Jane laughed and squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "Yeah, you can count on that."

"You don't have an appendix anymore, since it got removed a few weeks ago, so no." Maura said in her professional voice. "And don't speak with your mouth full."

Riley swallowed and smiled at her mother. "Can I have salad dressing, please?"

Maura sighed and hesitated a moment before nodding her head. "Yes, but only the skimmed one. It's in the fridge."

"Thanks, mom." Riley placed a quick peck on her mother's cheek and jumped off her chair to run to the kitchen.

"Don't jump!" Maura called after her, her correction falling on deaf ears as Riley's head was already inside the refrigerator. "She takes way too much after you, Jane." Maura sighed with a smile.

"I couldn't be more proud." Jane smirked as she triumphantly held her fork in the air, a green bean still attached to it.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Riley said while she sat back down at the table, holding the dressing, "is it okay if Sarah comes over after dinner? We got an assignment for Geography together."

"Sure." Maura answered, smiling lovingly at her daughter. "If her parents agree, of course."

Riley sighed and chewed on a bean, swallowing it slowly. "Her parents agreed she could come here, but only for homework. They're checking her progress when she comes back home, to make sure we're actually doing homework."

"Jeez, that's strict." Jane mumbled, eliciting a warning glare from her wife.

"It is." Riley smiled but her eyes didn't participate. "She had a huge fight with her parents about it, but they won't budge."

"The poor kid." Jane whispered before taking a sip of water.

Riley let out a soft laugh and looked at Maura with sparkling eyes. "Compared to her, you're not strict at all." She said softly. "You're the best parents in the world."

Maura smiled and brushed some of Riley's long hair out of her face. "Thank you, baby." She leaned over to kiss her daughter's forehead and looked into her bright blue eyes. "It's only because we have the best daughter in the world."

Riley chuckled and focused back on her food. Maura smiled at the way she eagerly took big bites of it, indicating that she liked it. "Don't get too sentimental now, mom, I'm eating."

"You started it!" Maura playfully slapped the girl's arm, eliciting a cheerful giggle.

"It was an accident!"

"No it wasn't."

Riley laughed and grabbed the can of water to fill her glass. "I know."

An hour and a half later, Riley and Sarah sat at the dinner table, working on a project about Europe, Riley scrolling through a website while Sarah browsed though a book. Maura sat on the couch, reading though some files while Jane lay on the other end, her feet resting in her wife's lap who was absentmindedly massaging them while she read.

After a while, Maura noticed a change in the girl's voices and snapped out of her work, afraid that something was wrong. They weren't cheerful anymore and it seemed like they weren't talking about their project any longer. Sarah talked in a soft whisper, sounding insecure while Riley's voice sounded quiet and comforting. "I'm serious, Sar. Just talk to them, they won't mind."

"I don't know. I'm afraid they'll think I'm weird."

"Why?" Riley answered, a little too loud, causing her to turn her voice into a barely audible whisper. Maura could no longer hear what they were saying and she turned her attention back to the file in her hands.

After a few moments, she heard Riley's soft but determined voice coming from behind the couch. "Mom? Ma?"

The doctor turned her head and saw the two girls standing behind them, Riley's arm linked with Sarah's as Sarah looked down at her feet, her cheeks reddening with an insecure blush. "Yes, honey?"

"Can we… I mean, Sarah… Uhm, can we ask something?"

"Of course." Jane answered, pulling herself up to rest against the armrest. She motioned towards the chair, guiding them to sit down. The girls slowly walked around the couch and Sarah sat in the chair while Riley sat down on the armrest. "What's the matter?"

Sarah took a deep breath and looked at her friend, clearly afraid to speak. Riley gave the girl a comforting squeeze on her wrist and smiled. "They're cool, they'll understand."

"No, it's okay. Never mind, I'll figure it out." Sarah shook her head and tried to stand up, but Riley held her down.

"Okay, I'll ask." Riley sighed and looked at her mothers on the couch. "Moms? When did you know you were… You know… how did you… figure out you liked women?"

Maura looked at her wife, slightly surprised to hear the question. "Well," she started, "I knew ever since college that I liked both women and men."

"But… How?" Sarah asked, opening up a little more when she heard the warm tone in Maura's voice.

"It's actually scientifically proven that women who…"

"Maur." Jane cut her off. "She doesn't need a scientific explanation."

"Right." Maura averted her gaze and tried to find the words to explain her feelings. She had just… known. She knew all along that she wasn't solely attracted to men. She loved men, but she loved women too. And now she just loved Jane and Jane only, that's just what happened. She never really worried about it.

"For me it wasn't that simple." Jane smiled and lifted her feet off the couch to face the girls. "I always assumed I was straight, until I met Maura. Then my body started feeling crazy things I had never really felt before. I tried to repress it for a long time."

"Did it work?" Sarah asked softly.

"Nah." Jane shrugged. "You can't stop falling in love."

Maura smiled and grabbed her wife's hand, lacing their fingers together as she lovingly stroked Jane's knuckles with her thumb. It had taken a long time for Jane to admit her feelings. It came with a lot of struggles, worries and tears. It had always been difficult for Jane to talk about, which is Maura was surprised to hear her wife speaking so openly to the girls. It dawned to her that Sarah was struggling with figuring out her sexuality, and it delighted the doctor that the girl was confiding in them to help her.

"But… how did you know for sure?" Sarah asked softly, looking down at her fumbling hands. "I mean, when do you cross the line from a girl-crush to being…. You know…?"

"Being gay?" Jane smirked.

Sarah flinched at the word and Maura saw tears shimmering in her eyes. "Yeah." She whispered.

"Well, when your girl-crush lasts for four years… It's kinda undeniable." Jane smiled a comforting smile at Sarah sitting in the chair. There was nothing left of the usually cheerful, spontaneous and confident girl. She was an insecure teenager in need of help. "But that doesn't mean I didn't try to deny it."

Jane shifted a little and rested her elbows on her knees, leaning closer towards her daughter's friend. "You know, when I pictured my future, I could never see myself with a man. I tried, I tried to force the image of me, my husband and two kids into the picture of my future, but I couldn't. It felt wrong." Jane smiled when she saw Sarah raising her gaze to look at the detective. The girl nodded slowly with wide eyes, clearly showing that she recognized everything Jane said.

"I didn't want to be gay." Jane said with a sad smile. "I couldn't even stand the word 'lesbian'. But then I met this goofy, brilliant, gorgeous medical examiner at work and my entire world got turned upside down. Suddenly, it didn't really care if I was gay or not. All I wanted was to spend my life with this woman and if that meant I'm a lesbian, so be it." Jane shrugged and Maura felt tears burning in her eyes at her wife's heartfelt words.

"It takes time, honey." Maura said softly.

Sarah nodded and frantically wiped a tear that trickled down her cheek. "What did your family and friends say when they found out?"

Jane chuckled and squeezed Maura's hand before continuing. "My mother wasn't surprised. She knows me way too well; she knew I was in love with Maura even before I knew. My dad was a little hesitant to it. He reacted badly but when he learned more about it, he's okay. My brothers don't really care and neither do my friends."

"How did your father react?"

Jane shrugged and Maura saw a hint of sadness on her wife's face. "He said it was probably just a phase. He didn't believe it wasn't until he met Maura as my girlfriend. By then, he was fine with it."

"Sarah, are you struggling with your sexual preference?" Maura asked in a sweet tone, but Sarah flinched at her words. She buried her face in her hands and the doctor saw her shoulders shaking. The girl nodded but didn't reply.

Riley slid down from the armchair and scooted her friend over to wrap her arms around the girl. "It's okay, Sarah," she said softly. "It's alright, I don't give a crap if you like boys or girls, and neither do they. It's okay."

Sarah shook her head and mumbled a quiet 'no' through her tears. Maura fought the urge to correct her daughter because of her language as she felt pride burning in her heart at the sight of her daughter comforting her friend. Usually, Riley was the one to bury herself in comforting arms as she allowed others to dry her tears. But now Maura saw she was perfectly capable of doing the same for other and she felt incredibly proud.

"It's a complicated process, Sarah." Maura said softly, causing Sarah to pull away from her friend's arms to look at the doctor. "It takes a lot of time. You don't have to figure it out all at once. Just be honest to yourself, that's the most important thing."

"And you know, one day you'll be as happy as we are together." Jane smiled and squeezed her wife's hand. "You'll find someone, male of female, who loves you and who makes your entire life better."

"I wish I wanted that person to be a boy…" Sarah whispered. "But I don't."

"I think that's your answer to your questions, Sarah." Maura replied quietly.

Sarah groaned and wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. "I know! I've known for a long time!" She spoke loudly, through her tears and Maura saw anger and frustration edged on her face. "I'm just too stubborn to admit it because I don't want to be 'the gay girl'! I don't want people to treat me differently and I don't want my parents to hate me." Her last words got cut off as the girl's throat closed up with tears.

Maura moved closer to her detective and leaned into her side, feeling Sarah's pain. Her parents wouldn't even let the girl spend time at her best friend's house because her mothers were lesbians. She couldn't even imagine the fear that must be raging through Sarah at the thought of coming out to her parents. "Oh honey." Maura whispered. "Your parents love you, and they always will, no matter what."

"Even if I'm gay?" Sarah asked, her tone surprisingly harsh.

"Yes." Maura sighed. "Sarah, I don't know your parents so I can't anticipate their reaction, but given the way they call you when you're home late, or when they call you out on not telling them where you are… That's parental love. And when your parents love you, it'll turn out okay."

"She's right." Jane smiled. "She always is. It'll be difficult, it'll cause you and your family pain, you'll argue and whatnot, but in the end, your parents love you and it'll be alright."

"I told you." Riley tilted her head and let out a soft chuckle. "They're good at stuff like this."

Sarah laughed and wiped her cheeks. "Yeah."

"Somehow, that sentimental crap makes ya feel a lot better." Riley smirked.

"Riley, watch your language." Maura said sternly. She stood up from the couch and caressed Sarah's curly blonde hair for a moment while she kissed Riley's head. "It'll be okay, honey." She smiled, looking into Sarah's green eyes as she saw a look of gratitude and comfort.

As Maura walked into the kitchen to grab drinks for everybody, she heard Riley and Sarah talking, making jokes and giggling again, telling the doctor that she was feeling better. Suddenly she felt her wife's arms wrapping around her waist, hugging her from behind as the detective kissed the blonde's neck.

Maura hummed and leaned back into the embrace, softly placing her hands on Jane's underarms that stayed securely wrapped around her waist. "I'm so glad I'm gay." Jane purred in Maura's ear.

Maura sighed and turned around to wrap her arms around the brunette's neck. "Hmm, me too." She kissed her wife's lips and fought to keep the kiss light and quick, cautious of the two teenagers still in the living room. "I truly hope Sarah will be too, soon."

"Once she fully realizes how beautiful women are and how great boobs are, she'll be happy to be gay." Jane whispered with a smirk.

Maura gasped and playfully slapped her wife's arm. "Jane." She scolded. "Sarah's parents are clearly some sort of homophobic and that girl is deadly afraid of her feelings. I feel bad for her."

Jane's smirk turned into a loving smile and she kissed the corner of Maura's mouth. "Me too. I'm glad we can help her in some way. I wish I had that when I was in her place."

Maura hummed and kissed her wife one last time before filling two glasses with lemonade, another glass with wine while Jane grabbed a beer from the fridge. "She'll be okay. She's a great kid." Jane smiled and kissed Maura's lips.

Maura watched the two girls in the living room and saw Riley nearly falling out of the chair in a fit of giggles, laughing so hard at Sarah's joke that tears streamed down her face. "Yes she is." Maura smiled brightly and felt her heart bursting with love and pride. "And so is ours."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Are you really sure you're not coming? It won't be half the fun without you!" Riley spoke into the phone, talking to Sarah on the other end of the line. "You don't have to bring a date, we can just go together as friends. I don't have a date either."

"Date?" Jane mouthed to her wife next to her on the couch, her eyebrows raised and her eyes screaming anger already.

"It's for the school dance she told us about last week." Maura whispered.

"She didn't tell us anything about _dates_!" Jane spit out.

Maura shrugged and turned her attention back to her book. "So?"

Jane snatched the book out of her wife's hands, eliciting an angry squeal. "Hey! I'm reading that!"

"Maura, can you please panic along with me?" Jane whispered in a high-pitched tone. "She's talking about _a date_!"

Maura sighed and turned to look at their daughter who was pouring herself something to drink in the kitchen, the phone held up between her ear and shoulder. "No! Are you crazy? I'm not gonna ask Josh, what if he says no?"

"_Josh_?" Jane mouthed at the blonde. When Riley walked back upstairs, she turned to face her wife. "When did we allow our fourteen year old daughter to go out on a date? With a boy names Josh?!"

"Jane." Maura tilted her head and glared at her wife. "First of all, our daughter is fifteen. And second of all, it's not a date. Her school is organizing a summer dance, which won't be happening until this summer and that is months from now, and it's just an innocent party. There will be teachers and parents to chaperone."

"Why wasn't I asked for that?" Jane asked, feeling anger and protectiveness burning in her stomach. "I'm a parent!"

Maura laughed and cupped Jane's cheek to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "You'd be searching all the kids for drugs and you'd be doing a background check on all the kids that even talked to Riley."

Jane groaned and kissed her wife's lips one last time before relaxing against the back of the couch. "I already did."

"What?" Maura asked, snapping her attention to her wife. "You've searched kids for drugs?!"

"God, no, Maur." Jane answered with a grunt. "A background check on _Josh_."

"Jane, you know you're not supposed to do that." Maura scolded her detective. Slowly she turned her gaze towards Jane again. "And?" She asked softly.

"And what?"

"What did you find out?"

Jane chuckled and took a sip of her beer. Her wife was just as curious and protective as her, even though she didn't show it. "Not even a parking ticket from his parents."

Maura sighed and brushed the brunette's messy curls back to place a slow kiss on her cheek. "Our daughter's a good girl, who picks good friends."

"Yeah, as long as she keeps picking just 'friends', I'm fine with that." Jane muttered.

Maura laughed and continued her kisses on her wife's neck, making a trail along her sharp jaw, towards the corner of her mouth. "Oh aren't you gonna be in trouble when our daughter gets involved in a relationship someday…"

Jane smiled and turned to capture her wife's lips in a deep kiss. "Let's keep that on 'someday'…"

Maura chuckled and lifted her feet up on the couch to snuggle into her wife's side, resting her head on the detective's shoulder. "She's doing well, isn't she?" The blonde whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… She's going to therapy every week, she's healing rather well and taking her medicine when she's supposed to, she plays the piano, she talks to us when she needs us…" Maura sighed and Jane felt her wife's arms wrapping around her waist. "I guess I'm just waiting for the other ball to drop."

Jane smirked at her wife's adorableness and kissed the top of her head. "It's the other _shoe _to drop, Maur." Her smirk fell when she thought about her wife's words. "What do you mean, babe?"

"Nothing. She's fine, we're fine and I've never been happier with our lovely family."

"C'mon, Maur. Talk to me." Jane whispered, pulling the doctor close into her side.

"I'm afraid she's suppressing certain things. I feel… I feel like it's going too well."

Jane sighed and cupped her wife's face to press a sweet kiss on her lips. "I don't know." She whispered. "You went with her to therapy last time. Is she not doing well in there?"

"Yes, she is. She's doing everything like she's supposed to," Maura answered softly, looking deeply into the detective's eyes. She shook her head and showed a slight smile. "I don't know, maybe I'm just overreacting."

"Yeah." Jane whispered. "Maybe." She smiled at the stunning woman sitting closely next to her and allowed the blonde's beauty to overwhelm her for a moment. She gently traced her hands along her wife's jaw, admiring the way her skin glowed with her adorable freckles. Her eyes big and sparkling with all those beautiful colors that together made its own unique color that was the most beautiful Jane had ever seen. She traced her hands lower to her wife's chest, carefully tracing the swell of the blonde's perfect breasts and lower towards her beautiful curves yet toned stomach. She took it all in, still stunned by her wife's beauty after years of marriage. She would never get used to the sight of this perfect woman beside her.

"Jane…" Maura whispered, her voice soft and sweet.

Jane snapped her attention towards the doctor and looked into big eyes filled with endless love. Maura lovingly brushed Jane's messy curls back and stroked the brunette's sharp cheekbone with her thumb. "You're stunning." Jane breathed out. "Absolutely stunning."

Maura's eyes shimmered as she captured her wife's lips in a long, loving kiss. She didn't speak and just poured her words into that single kiss, a kiss that made Jane's heart swell, her stomach flutter and her head spin. She tangled her fingers in the doctor's blonde curls and pulled her closer into her, deepening the kiss as she heard a small moan coming from her wife.

As they pulled away, gasping for air, Maura smiled brightly at her wife and stroked her cheeks with her thumbs. "I want to tell you how much I love you but I simply can't find the words." She whispered, her mouth inches away from Jane's as the detective felt her wife's breath on her lips.

Jane chuckled. "Genius doctor Maura Isles can't find words." She said with a smirk before pressing a loving kiss against her wife's lips again. "That's a first."

"Just because of you, Jane." Maura smiled and traced Jane's bottom lip with her thumb before kissing her again. "The amount of love I feel for you is so overwhelming and infinite… I don't know how to explain it." She smiled and looked deeply in the brunette's eyes. "It's like when you're with me, the rest of the world fades away. All that matters is you here with me, your touches, your lips on mine, your hand in mine and your heart reserved for me. That's the only thing that matters."

Jane felt hot tears burning in her eyes and smiled at her wife, completely at loss for words. "Looks like you found the words after all." She mumbled.

Maura laughed and threw her arms around her wife's neck to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "I guess I did," she whispered.

"I love you so much, Maur." Jane whispered in a husky voice. "I'm not good at speeches like you, but I love you so much."

Maura chuckled and kissed her wife one last time before pulling back to look at her again. "I don't need a speech." She smiled. "Besides, that'd take way too long. It's already past Riley's bedtime and I'm guessing she's still on the phone with Sarah."

Jane hummed and kissed Maura's temple before getting up from the couch. "I'll tuck her in." For a second, she stopped in her movements and thought about those words, those words she'd never, ever expected she'd say. Somewhere along the road, she turned into a loving mother who left her insanely hot wife on the couch to 'tuck in' her daughter. And she didn't even mind. She shrugged and walked upstairs.

"Give her a kiss from me!" Maura called after her, already engaged in reading her book again.

"Will do!" Jane walked down the hallway and softly knocked on Riley's bedroom door. "Riley, honey?"

"Yeah."

Jane opened the door and saw her daughter sitting up against the headboard of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, staring at the wall. "You okay, baby?" She asked while she sat down on the edge of the bed, closely next to the girl, facing her.

Riley nodded and looked at her mother, managing a small smile. Jane brushed some of her long brown hair back, thinking that she'd need a haircut soon. "How's Sarah?"

"She's alright." Riley shrugged. "Y'know, tensed and nervous, but nothing out of the ordinary." She smiled but Jane saw the empty look in her daughter's eyes.

"Baby." Jane whispered, cupping her daughter's cheek to try and get eye contact. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Riley whispered.

"You think I'm gonna fall for that?" Jane smiled lovingly at the girl and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Talk to me, baby."

"I don't want to talk." Riley whispered barely audible.

Jane nodded and knew she should take those words seriously. If her daughter said she didn't want to talk, she shouldn't press on. At least not right now. "Alright," Jane answered. She kissed her daughter's forehead. "This is a goodnight kiss from your mom," she continued to kiss the girl's cheek, "and this is mine." She smiled at her daughter and pulled her in for a quick hug. "I love you, baby. Sleep well."

Riley nodded but didn't reply, which Jane found strange but she assumed the girl wanted to be left alone. She stood up from the bed and was about to leave the room when Riley's soft voice stopped her. "Ma?"

Jane turned around and saw silent tears trickling down her daughter's cheeks. "Can you stay with me please?" Riley asked, her voice weak and laced with tears.

"Yeah, of course." Jane immediately turned back and stepped towards the bed, sitting next to her daughter as she pulled her closely into her arms. Riley snuggled close and rested her head on her mother's chest and Jane felt the tears wetting her shirt. She rubbed her daughter's back and kissed her head. "My baby." She whispered. "I want to help you, honey."

"I know." The girl whispered. She took a deep breath as if she was bracing herself to say something, but she stayed silent.

"What's going on inside your beautiful head, Riley?" Jane whispered, pulling her daughter close.

Riley just shook her head and nuzzled closer, signaling that she wasn't ready to talk. "Alright." Jane said, accepting the fact that she wouldn't be getting to the problem tonight. "C'mhere." She pulled the covers away and slid down, bringing her daughter with her. She tucked Riley in warm blankets and lay down next to the girl, pulling her close. Riley rested her head on her mother's chest and draped her skinny arm around Jane's toned stomach, curling up into the detective's side.

"Thank you, mama." Riley whispered into Jane's chest.

Jane smiled and kissed her daughter's head, relaxing against the extra pillow. Riley rarely called the brunette 'mama' unless she was truly upset. It was a cute, childlike name that Jane loved. She wondered what was bothering her daughter and she thought of the endless possibilities, but couldn't figure it out. And unfortunately, it could be a lot of things.

The girl had been going through so much lately… She was bound to break down soon. With the life-threatening surgery, she was getting behind in school and had to work twice as hard even though she was completely exhausted already. Along with the incredible trauma of her abusive father, her newly-found family, the struggles of her best friend and the newness of her loving mothers… Jane's head was spinning just thinking about it.

"I get it, honey." Jane whispered. "It's all so much."

Riley nodded against Jane's chest and Jane felt the girl relaxing in her arms as she slowly started drifting off to sleep. "It's okay." She smiled and pulled her daughter impossibly closer. "I'm here, your mom and I are always here. We love you so much, honey." She sighed deeply and felt that familiar, unconditional motherly love burning in her heart. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Riley mumbled, her voice a soft whisper. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Jane asked surprised.

Riley shrugged and didn't move from the detective's arms, her face still buried in her mother's chest. "Taking up your night. You can go if you want."

Jane sighed and pulled the girl close, smiling at the feeling of her daughter's tiny arms gripping her tightly. She didn't mean the words, Riley wanted Jane to stay and she knew it. She wanted it, too. "There's nowhere I'd rather be, honey," Jane whispered and it was true.

After thirty minutes, Jane heard her daughter's steady breathing and felt the girl's grip around her waist loosening, indicating that Riley had drifted off to sleep in her mother's arms. She smiled and carefully kissed her daughter's head, not wanting to wake her up.

After a few moments, the bedroom door slowly opened and Maura's head peaked through. She smiled at the sight of her daughter curled up in Jane's arms and slowly walked into the bedroom. "I started getting worried," she whispered with a smile. She walked around to bed to sit down at Jane's side and brushed her wife's hair out of her face. "What's going on?"

"No idea," Jane whispered. "She cried herself to sleep like this."

Maura gently smoothed her daughter's hair and smiled sadly. "My beautiful baby." She whispered. She cupped Jane's cheek and leaned down to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Jane smiled and felt that familiar warmth spreading in her chest, caused by the never-ending love for her wife.

"Will you be staying here tonight?" Maura whispered.

"I'll stay a little longer, to make sure she's really down for the night." Jane answered softly as she looked at her sleeping daughter. "I'll join you later."

"Okay." Maura gave her wife a last kiss and placed a soft, careful kiss on her daughter's head before she stood up from the bed.

An hour later, Riley was still sleeping peacefully and hadn't moved a muscle. Jane carefully untangled her daughter's small limbs from herself and slowly got out of bed to join her wife. She left the girl's bedroom door slightly open, in case she would wake up in the middle of the night, scared of where her mother went. She walked down the hallway and was greeted with the sight of her beautiful wife sleeping peacefully in their bed. Jane quickly undressed as she was still wearing her slacks and a blue button-up, leaving her in nothing but her boy shorts as she carefully slid under the covers next to the blonde. She wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and spooned her from behind, soaking in the delicious smell of her vanilla-scented blonde curls.

With still a hint of worry in her mind for her daughter, she slowly drifted off to sleep; straining her ears every now and then to make sure everything was quiet. And everything stayed quiet as the family finally slept in peace.

_A/N Sorry for the late upload and the short chapter, there's a difficult chapter coming up! Please let me know what you think. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_A/N This chapter was difficult to write and it's very close to my heart. It means so much to me that there are people out there reading my story and taking the time to write reviews. I love reading what you think, your advice and your thoughts on this story that is so very close to my heart. Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's not a happy one, but it's filled with love. _

Maura woke up feeling her wife's arms wrapped securely around her waist from behind, Jane's messy curls tickling against the doctor's neck as her face was nuzzled closely against her upper back. She smiled and turned her head to look at the beauty lying next to her, watching the early morning sun shining through Jane's black curls, lighting up her relaxed face as she slept peacefully. She untangled her arm from beneath her wife's and carefully traced Jane's cheekbone, marveling at her perfect face. She sighed deeply, letting happiness and a feeling of luck and bliss coming over her before the sound of a shower running snapped her out of her thoughts. She realized it had been running for a while, but she was too lost in her thoughts to notice.

She looked at her phone and saw that it wasn't even 6am yet, causing her to wonder and worry why Riley was in the shower this early. She had a free period due to a sick teacher this morning, and she didn't have to be in school until 11.30am. Thinking about the events of last night, Maura untangled herself from her wife and carefully got out of bed to check on her daughter.

As she opened Riley's bedroom door, she saw that the covers were kicked away on the bed. The bathroom door was slightly open and she heard the sound of water hitting the ground, along with soft whimpers coming from her daughter. She softly knocked on the door. "Honey, are you okay?"

Riley didn't answer and Maura started to worry. She slowly opened the door and saw what seemed an empty shower, but when she stepped closer she saw her daughter sitting on the floor, her knees hugged to her bare chest, her face buried in her arms that were wrapped around her legs. But worst of all, Maura saw angry red scratches and grazes all over the girl's bare back and what used to be a yellow sponge lying on the floor, a sponge that had now turned red with blood.

The doctor felt hot tears burning in her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat before she stepped towards her daughter and kneeled next to her. "My baby," she whispered. She pushed the shower away so the girl was out of the stream before placing a warm hand on her daughter's shoulder, causing Riley to snap her head to look at her mother. Maura met with pained blue eyes that had turned red, bloodshot from crying. The sight startled her and she felt warm tears trickling down her cheeks. "What have you done?"

Riley's breath hitched and she averted her gaze towards her bare feet, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "I tried to brush away the scars," she whispered, her voice hoarse and laced with pain and tears. "I tried to scratch away the memories."

"Oh sweetheart…" Maura whispered. She gathered the girl in her arms and sat next to her, not caring about the water that soaked her silk pajamas. She only cared about the shaking girl in her arms. She brushed the girl's wet hair out of her face and pressed her lips against her cheek. She saw Riley's hands that were clenched into tight fists around her legs, her fingers wrinkled from the water. "How long have you been sitting here?"

"Long." Riley whispered.

"Come here." Maura hooked one arm under the girl's legs as the other wrapped under Riley's arms, lifting her in her arms, which was surprisingly easy, unfortunately. Her daughter was all skin and bones. She reached to turn off the shower, the stream of water soaking her entirely, but all that mattered was the shivering girl in her arms. Her shaking daughter who immediately clung to her mother, her tiny, shivering wet body pulled closely in strong, warm arms as Maura carried her out of the shower. She grabbed a towel and a warm blanket on her way and put the towel on the bed, her daughter on top of it as she wrapped the girl in the blanket and gathered her in her arms.

She rubbed her daughter's back but stopped when Riley hissed in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry, love." Maura whispered.

She gently turned the girl around so that she was facing her back. The doctor kept her hand comfortingly on Riley's shoulder as her other hand traced her back, inspecting the injuries. She saw the grazes that were probably caused by scrubbing too hard and too long with a sponge, but among those, there were scratches that couldn't have been from a sponge. Maura was, sadly enough, quite experienced with the act of inspecting injuries, and she concluded a rough wall probably caused the scratches.

Among the recent injuries, the angry white scars were still standing out, reminding the girl of her abusive past, her immense pain and never-ending hurtful memories. Maura knew she would have to examine her scratches further and disinfect them, but the feeling of Riley shivering uncontrollably changed that thought. There was time. Maura wrapped the soft blanket back around her daughter. "Mommy" Riley whimpered after a heartbreaking sob.

"I'm here, honey." Maura gathered the girl back in her arms and felt Riley resting her head against her mother's chest. "I'm always here." She kissed the girl's forehead and carefully pulled her close. "Go to sleep, my love," she whispered. "I'm here."

After a few long minutes, Riley had cried herself to sleep in her mother's arms, leaving the doctor fully awake and wildly concerned. She knew it was common to have a relapse like this. A few months ago, Jane had found the girl punching George the boxing dummy with bleeding hands, comforting herself in physical pain to try and get rid of her mental pain. Things like that hadn't happened since then and Maura secretly hoped it would stay that way. But she knew it was going too well. She felt that her daughter was going to burst soon.

After only an hour of what seemed to be peaceful sleep, Riley started stirring and her breathing quickened, causing Maura to gently wake her up. "Riley, love," she whispered as she carefully shook the girl's shoulder, trying to get her out of her nightmare.

Riley's eyes snapped open and she looked at her mother, looking confused and disorientated. She moved and flinched in pain due to the grazes on her back, only then remembering what happened. She slightly turned her head away from Maura's chest and pulled up the blanket to cover her still naked and damp body.

Maura smiled and brushed the girl's long hair back from her face, looking lovingly into her shimmering blue eyes. She saw exhaustion on her daughter's face and felt tears burning in her eyes when she thought about how it wasn't just exhaustion. The girl was beyond exhausted. She was sleep deprived and emotionally drained. "Sleep, my baby." Maura whispered. "It's still early."

Riley shook her head and let out a light sob. "I'm afraid to."

"Did you dream?" Maura whispered as she lovingly stroked her daughter's cheek, wet from tears. Riley nodded but averted her gaze, causing Maura to pull the girl back to her chest, knowing that it was easier for Riley to talk when she was not looking directly into her mother's eyes.

Riley nodded against Maura's warm chest and snuggled in close. "Yes."

"Would you like to tell me about it?" Maura asked, careful not to push the girl.

"About which one?"

Maura shrugged and kissed her daughter's head. "Your choice."

Riley took a deep breath and Maura felt the girl bracing herself to open up. "At first, I dreamed I was back with my dad. I broke a glass, and he got angry. He beat me, kicked me, and pulled my hair… And then he got out his cigarettes. He ripped off my clothes and burned me." Riley's voice was quiet and hoarse, laced with pain and tears. "It felt so real. Like I was really back. I could feel the pain, the burns and the kicks. I woke up and I couldn't breathe and I was so scared and I could actually feel the burns on my back, so I jumped out of bed to check them and I saw those awful scars… It made me sick."

"Oh, my love..." Maura whispered. "Why didn't you wake us?"

"Because, Ma already stayed with me when I fell asleep." Riley cried, her throat closed up with tears. "I wanted to make it better and I tried to scratch them off with my nails, but that didn't work, of course… And then I tried it with the wall, and oh, my shirt is ripped now, I'm sorry about that." 

"It's okay." Maura whispered barely audible.

"My back started bleeding and I decided to take a shower to get rid of it, and I tried to wash myself and I just started scrubbing so hard it hurt and I just couldn't stop myself…"

"Oh God." Maura whimpered as tears were streaming down her cheeks, her heart breaking at her daughter's words.

"I just wanted to get rid of it." Riley whispered. "I just wanted to make the pain and the memories go away."

"My love." Maura said softly as she cupped her daughter's face to make her look at the doctor. Riley's eyes went wide for a moment but she let out a wrecking sob and closed them after meeting the sight of her mother crying next to her.

"You can't get rid of the memories." Maura whispered. "I wish you could, but memories are a part of your past and you can't erase your past. But you know, you can create new memories. And those new memories can overpower to old, bad ones."

Riley nodded and Maura saw her expression soften. "He's gone, my love." Maura whispered in attempt to soothe her crying daughter. "He can't touch you, he can't hurt you. He's gone."

"But what if he's not?" Riley whispered softly, tears streaming down her face.

"What do you mean?" Maura replied. Riley's father was dead; he literally couldn't hurt her anymore.

"What if he's in my head forever?" Riley whispered. "What if he'll always be in my head? What if he'll always be in my dreams and my memories?"

"No, honey."

"He got in my head, mom. He's dead and he can still do this to me," Riley mumbled into her mother's chest as her tears kept falling. "He broke me." Riley let out a loud sob and clutched to her mother as the doctor pulled her close.

"No, no my love." Maura whispered desperately. "He didn't break you. He beat you, he kicked you and he hurt you, but he didn't break you. You're strong enough to conquer anything that comes your way, honey."

"But I broke," Riley mumbled.

"Yes, and now we're putting you back together again." Maura whispered soothingly. "You may break from time to time, but that doesn't mean you're broken. He's not strong enough to break you, honey. You're so strong, so strong that you are putting yourself back together every single time. I understand it feels like he's in your head, but you have to know that you're strong enough to beat him."

"I don't know." Riley mumbled.

"I do." Maura smiled. "I know how incredibly strong you are, how incredibly brave and how sweet, loving, caring, and _good _you are."

Riley showed a slight smile through her tears and looked at her mother with a look of gratitude and love. Maura smiled at the sight and wiped her own tears before she cupped her daughter's face and stroked the girl's face with her thumbs. "He can't break you, honey. Ever."

Riley sniffled and closed her eyes as heartbreaking sobs wrecked her tiny body. Maura pulled her impossibly close and placed continuing kisses on her daughter's head. She wanted to kiss and hug her daughter's pain away, she wanted to pull the girl into her, to let her know how incredibly loved she was and always would be. "I love you so much, baby girl." Maura whispered, her throat closing up with tears that wouldn't stop falling down her cheeks.

"I wish I could take it all away. I don't ever, ever want you to be in pain, my love." She placed her hands on Riley's cheeks and gently pulled her away from her chest to make eye contact. "I love you so much, my beautiful baby girl," she repeated, her voice nothing more than a high-pitched whisper.

Riley looked at her mother as tears kept falling down her cheeks. She nodded and pulled Maura's wrist away from her face so she could snuggle her face back into the doctor's chest that was usually warm and loving, but right now the doctor felt cold to the bone as an early morning breeze blew through the window along her soaked pajamas. She pulled her daughter close, mostly trying to get warm herself, at the same time comforting her crying daughter.

"I love you too, Mom." Riley mumbled into her chest. "You're the best mom."

Maura smiled and pressed her lips against her daughter's hairline. "Baby, I need to examine your back."

Riley nodded but didn't move away from Maura's arms. "I need to examine your back _now_, honey. To make sure there aren't any infections."

The girl took a deep breath and reluctantly pulled away from her mother. Maura helped her daughter sit up and sat next to her as she let her hands wander across Riley's naked back. "It's not that bad, but I do need to disinfect it." Maura whispered. "I need to get some iodine, I'll be right back love." She kissed the back of her daughter's head and pulled the blanket back around her body to avoid her getting cold.

She quickly walked downstairs and pretty much ran towards the closet where she kept her medical bag, not wanting to leave her daughter for a minute too long. When she ran back upstairs, she met Jane in the hallway. The detective looked at her with wide eyes, confusion edged all over her face as she looked at Maura's wet silk pajamas, stains of blood, damp hair and pained expression.

"What… what's going on, Maur?"

Maura sighed and didn't stop for more than a second. "It's Riley," she said over her shoulder.

Jane followed her to their daughter's bedroom and Maura crawled up on it, sitting behind her daughter and lowering the blanket. At the sight of Riley's naked, bruised back, Jane gasped and Maura heard her sniffling as she wiped her tears. "Oh God." Jane whispered.

"Okay baby, this will sting a little." Maura carefully cleaned the cuts and scratches, fighting to keep her tears at bay at the sight of Riley biting her bottom lip, trying not to hiss in pain. When she was done disinfecting, she gently applied some necessary bandages and pulled the blanket back around her daughter's shoulders before wrapping her arms around Riley's chest from behind. "I'm all done, honey."

Riley finally relaxed and shifted to lean her head on Maura's shoulder. She saw her other mother standing on the other side of the bed and Maura saw tears filling Riley's eyes when she saw Jane standing there, arms along her sides, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm okay, mama." Riley whispered.

Jane nodded and wiped her cheeks, walking around the bed to sit next to the girl. She didn't speak and just pressed her lips against Riley's temple, closing her eyes as a last tear trickled down her cheek. Maura sweetly kissed it away and brushed her wife's messy hair back. "Babe, can you get a pair of sweatpants and a soft shirt out of the closet, please?"

"Sure." Jane nodded. She smiled and walked towards the closet, roaming through her daughter's clothes. "Underwear too?"

Riley blushed and buried her face in the crook of Maura's neck. "Yeah."

Maura chuckled and pulled the girl close. "That's okay, baby. There's no need to be embarrassed. I'm your mother; I've seen you before. And besides, I've studied the human body for many years, I'm quite…"

"Mom." Riley interrupted, pulling away to give her mother an annoyed and embarrassed look. She wiped a tear from her cheek but gave Maura a small smile.

She _was _Riley's mother. Not just her foster parent or adoptive mother. She was her mother, no doubt. But Maura stopped talking as she realized she was embarrassing the girl. She smiled at her daughter with an apologetic look and brushed her hair back. "Sorry."

Maura gratefully accepted the pile of clothes from her wife and pulled Riley up in her blanket, immediately noticing how weakly she was standing on her legs. Her knees were buckling slightly and her entire body shivered. "Oh, honey." Maura whispered.

Jane quickly stepped towards them, wrapping her arm around Riley's shoulders to keep her up while Maura helped her put on some clothes. Riley's tiny, skinny body still startled the doctor. She was way too undeveloped for her age. She looked like she could be in middle school and even though she was growing up and her body started developing, she was still incredibly behind. She generally wore a bra, but she didn't need it. She wasn't menstruating regularly, but that was pretty much it. Maura worried about her.

Maura pulled her daughter's sweatpants up over her panties and tied the pants before carefully pulling a sweater over her head. Riley hissed in pain from the friction it caused on her scratches, and Maura moved as slowly as possible. When Riley was dressed, she pulled the girl back down to the bed and into her arms. "It'll get better soon, honey." Maura said as she rubbed Riley's upper arm.

"It's okay." Riley whispered. "It's my own fault."

Maura sighed and rested her chin on top of her daughter's head on her shoulder, looking at her wife who was kneeling in front of Riley, her hands resting on the girl's knees.

"It's not, honey." Jane said softly. "Sometimes you just lose control, it happens. It's not your fault."

Riley looked at her mother and managed a small smile. "I really thought I was better," she whispered.

"It's perfectly normal to go through a relapse every now and then." Maura said before kissing her daughter's cheek.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you fall back into old behavior sometimes. Sometimes, you fall apart again, just like old times." Maura explained, never stopping her loving strokes on Riley's arm. "But that's okay. You fall apart, you break down, and you come to us and we help you put you back together again."

Riley let out a soft chuckle and smiled up at the doctor. "That's what you said when I came back from visiting my father in the hospital."

Maura smiled and remembered that time, one of the worst emotional breakdowns she'd had, punching walls, vomiting on the floor and sobbing in a heartbreaking way. She brushed some hair out of Riley's face and kissed her forehead. "Yes, and it's still true."

Jane stood up and pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead and looked deeply into her shimmering blue eyes. "Would you like some pancakes?" She asked, always needing something to do, something to busy herself with.

"I feel kinda nauseous." Riley whispered.

"Have some fruit, that'll go easy on your stomach." Maura said softly.

Jane hummed and stood up. "So, yoghurt and fruit, how does that sound?"

"Great." Riley smiled.

"Okay, c'mere." Jane smiled and pulled her daughter up from the bed, away from Maura's arms to lead her downstairs. "I love you, honey." Jane whispered as she tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear.

Maura smiled at the sight and shivered in her damp pajamas. "I'm going to go get changed real quick."

Before Maura could walk to her own bedroom, Riley loosened herself from Jane and stumbled on weak legs towards Maura. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and pulled her close. "Thanks mom," the girl whispered.

Tears burned in Maura's eyes as she wrapped her arms around her daughter, partly keeping the girl standing, but mostly just hugging her close. "There's no need to thank me, baby," she whispered. "We're always here."

When Riley broke the embrace, she smiled shyly and walked back to Jane who guided her downstairs. Maura quickly walked towards her bedroom and got rid of her wet pajamas, shivering, as she felt cold to the bone. She took a pair of her tight yoga pants and put them on before grabbing one of Jane's wide and warm sweatpants. She put on a long sleeved shirt and another sweater, putting on as many layers as possible to try and get herself warm again. A hot shower would've been better, but she didn't want to leave her daughter. That familiar, unconditional motherly love told her that Riley was way more important than getting warm. Riley needed her mothers more than anything right now. Her back felt sore and she didn't remember ever being this cold, but she didn't care. She wouldn't want it any other way.

The doctor walked back downstairs again and was greeted by the sight of Riley sitting slumped down at the dinner table, laughing at one of Jane's jokes. Her eyes were still red from crying but the tears had dried on her cheeks.

Maura walked towards her wife and placed a warm hand on her lower back, turning her around to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "I love you, Jane," she whispered. "You gorgeous, beautiful woman."

Jane smirked and kissed the blonde back before turning back to cutting up some bananas. "I love you too."

"Oh no, Jane, Riley can't have bananas," Maura said at the sight of the fruit that Jane was cutting up.

"Why not?" Riley asked, slightly sitting up, avoiding her back touching the chair.

"Bananas can increase constipation. If there's anything we don't need, it's your bowels working too hard because of a constipation."

Riley sighed and leaned her chin in her arms on the table. "Mmkay."

"You can have peaches, apple and mango."

"Then who's gonna eat this banana?" Jane asked, pointing at the plate on the kitchen counter.

Maura cupped her wife's cheek and placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth. "You are."

"Yeah, like I need constipation?" Jane asked with faked shock.

"Your bowels aren't nearly as sensitive as Riley's, Jane." Maura glared at her wife and handed her a mango.

She sat down at the dinner table, next to her daughter and brushed her hair back. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Riley looked at her mother and smiled a sad smile. "I'm not sure," she said softly. "But I will be."

Maura smiled and pressed her lips against her daughter's temple. "Yes, you will."

Suddenly the sound of a frantic knock on the door startled them. Maura snapped her head and Jane dried her hands to open it. "Jeez, we can't catch a break, can we?" She groaned.

Jane opened the door and Maura saw Sarah standing outside, her eyes red with tears, her shoulders down. "Sarah?" Jane greeted her, quite surprised to see Riley's friend this early at their house. "What's going on?"

Sarah took a deep breath and wiped her tears before looking back up at Jane. "My parents kicked me out."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"What do you mean they kicked you out?" Jane said, a little too harsh as she invited Sarah into the house.

"I did it, I was honest with them and I told them," Sarah explained, her arms wrapped around herself as she stood awkwardly in between the kitchen and the living room.

"And they kicked you out?!" Riley's voice was laced with anger, as she turned in her chair, careful not too put too much pressure on her injured back.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. I don't know! Yeah, I think so."

"Come here, Sarah. Sit down." Maura patted the chair next to her and gave the girl a sweet smile. "Let's go over this one piece at the time. What happened?"

Jane leaned against the edge of the table next to Riley, brushing the girl's hair out of her face, eliciting a sad smile from her daughter.

Sarah sighed and braced herself to tell what happened. "Okay, so we were talking about this summer dance that's coming up at school? My mom kept asking if I had a date, and that a nice boy would ask me out and my dad said I should just ask a guy out. And I just… I snapped." Sarah took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. "I said I don't want to go to the dance with a boy, I don't even want to _be _with a boy, ever. And they just stared at me and didn't reply."

Maura sighed and rubbed Sarah's back, sweetly urging her to continue. "What happened?"

"I got mad," Sarah said softly. "I just spit it out, telling them that I was gay and if they couldn't deal with that, they should feel sorry for themselves because they're homophobic assholes."

"Sarah…" Maura glared at the girl.

"You asked what happened…" Sarah blushed. "My dad said I wasn't allowed to talk to him like that and that he wanted me to go."

"Go where?" Riley asked, listening intently to her friend's story.

"I don't know." Sarah raised her shoulders and looked at her friend. "He just said: 'go away, I can't even look at you right now'."

"Jeez." Riley sighed.

"Oh Sarah" Maura said sweetly, "it sounds like he was just mad at you for your use of language and being rude to your parents. That doesn't necessarily mean they're sending you away."

"It's a lot to process," Jane added. "It's hard for your parents. My dad needed at least six months before he could even accept that I wasn't just going through a phase. It needs time, Sarah."

"You need to try and give them that time, honey," Maura said softly as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Sarah's ear.

"You don't think they want to get rid of me?"

"Oh, honey no." Maura smiled and looked up at her wife.

"It sounds like something my mom sometimes says," Riley said with a smile. She turned in her chair to face her friend. "Things like 'don't take that tone with me, go to your room, I don't want to see you'. That's just a parents-thing I guess."

Jane winked at her wife and brushed her Riley's hair back, seeing enormous exhaustion on the girl's face due to her breakdown this early morning. "Riley's right. But I understand, Sarah. You think of all these horrible worst-case scenarios, and then you make all the reactions much worse in your head."

Sarah fumbled with her hands in her lap and averted her gaze. "I did," she whispered. "I made it worse in my head."

Maura smiled and gave Sarah's upper arm a loving squeeze. "That's alright, honey. It's very common."

"Sarah, do your parents know where you are right now?" Jane asked.

Sarah shook her head and Jane saw a shy blush reddening her cheeks. "No," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to call them," Jane replied, truly feeling sorry for the girl.

"They must be worried sick about you," Maura added. "How did you get here?"

"I took a bus. I didn't bring my phone with me."

"Alright, what's your home number?" Jane dialed the number Sarah told her and waited of someone to answer.

"Hello?" a man answered.

"Hi, this is Jane Rizzoli, I'm Riley's mother."

"Oh, thank God, is Sarah with you?" His voice was light as he sighed in immense relief.

"Yeah, she's right here," Jane answered. "She's a little shaken up."

The man sighed. "I can see that. We didn't handle the situation as well as I'd hoped. Is it alright with you and your… your partner if we pick Sarah up at your house?"

Jane flinched and rolled her eyes at his use of the word 'partner' but stayed calm and friendly. "Yeah, of course."

"Thank you."

Jane continued to give the man directions before they hung up the phone. "Your parents are coming to pick you up," she said, putting her phone down on the table.

"Oh no." Sarah whispered and Jane saw her bottom lip quivering as tears shimmered in her eyes again.

"Sarah," Maura brushed the girl's blond hair back, "it's going to be fine. We're here with you and your parents love you."

Sarah nodded but didn't look convinced, causing Riley to step in and straighten her back. "And hey, if they do kick you out you can come live here and I'll finally have a sister!" She smiled brightly.

Jane snapped her attention towards her wife and met with sparkling, hazel eyes that light up at the word 'sister'. Jane and Maura had talked about taking in more than one child before they started fostering Riley. They hadn't talked about it ever since, they kind of had their hands full with just one child up until now. But hearing Riley saying that she would like to have a sibling made both women incredibly happy. They didn't need words to confirm that.

"That won't be necessary." Maura smiled while she stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "Besides, you two would have way too much fun as sisters."

Riley giggled and Jane was grateful to hear Sarah chuckling slightly. "Since when does 'too much fun' exist? I don't think that's a thing," Riley said as she tilted her head.

Maura laughed and got out a few glasses to pour something to drink. "Oh, yes there is, my baby." Maura winked at Jane and the brunette smirked knowingly. "Would you girls like something to drink? I have apple or mango juice. Or tea."

"Apple, please." Sarah replied politely. "Thank you."

"Same for me." Riley stood up on weak legs and pulled Sarah up from her chair to wrap her tiny arms around her friend. "It's gonna be okay, Sar," she said softly. "I don't give a crap if you're gay or straight or bi or something else. You're just Sarah."

Jane saw Sarah smiling over Riley's shoulder and gratefully squeezing her friend close. "Thanks," she said with a light chuckle. "I hope the rest will think the same about it."

"Ah, screw the rest." Riley replied as she pulled back, waving her hand as she playfully slapped her friend's arm.

"Riley! Watch your language, young lady." Maura corrected her daughter with a warning glare after her second profanity as she put down two glasses on the dinner table.

"Sorry." Riley looked down with a shy smile. She leaned towards Sarah and whispered, "I'm in trouble when she calls me young lady."

Jane laughed and lifted herself from the edge of the table to walk to the kitchen and give her wife a loving kiss. Maura gratefully accepted the quick kiss and looked at her wife with a look of pure love. Jane leaned in for another kiss but the sound of the doorbell startled them.

Maura placed a quick kiss on the corner of Jane's mouth and walked towards the front door to open it. Jane stepped forward to stand behind Sarah and placed a comforting hand on the girl's tensed shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Maura Isles." The doctor greeted Sarah's parents politely as she adjusted her sweater and pulled it down, clearly feeling insecure in her sweats, without her usual put-together high-fashion look.

"I'm Judith Greene, this is my husband Stephen." A tall woman with the same blond hair as her daughter shook Maura's hand before the man stepped forward, wearing a suit and according to his watch and shoes, a rather expensive one.

Jane felt Sarah's shoulders tensing further as she watched her parents walking into the house. Jane squeezed Sarah's shoulders, trying to comfort the girl before she shook her parents' hands. "Jane Rizzoli. Nice to meet you."

The woman only paid a second of attention to Jane and quickly wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Oh Sarah, you can't just leave like that. We were worried sick about you."

Sarah cried and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist. "I thought you wanted me to go," she said softly.

Judith pulled back and looked in her daughter's eyes. "Well yes, because you were rude with your father."

Stephen stepped closer and rubbed Sarah's upper arm. "I wanted you to go to your room, or take a walk or something. Not take a bus and flee to your friend, leaving us worried at home."

Jane smiled at the love she witnessed in the parents. She'd thought they were just homophobic people who weren't respecting their daughter, but seeing the way they interacted with Sarah made her realize they truly cared for the girl. They had different beliefs than them and didn't agree with their lifestyle, but Sarah's sexuality could be changing that in the future.

Jane felt Maura's fingers lacing with her own, softly squeezing her hand as she stood next to her wife. Jane smiled at her wife before turning back to the family by the door.

"This is a lot to process," Judith said softly. "But you're still our daughter, you're still our Sarah."

Sarah nodded and accepted another hug from her mother, desperately trying to hold back her tears. Suddenly Jane felt a tiny arm linking with her own. She looked at her side to see Riley standing closely next to her, tears shimmering in her blue eyes and a sweet smile on her face as she watched her friend with her parents. Jane kissed her daughter's temple and unlinked her arm to wrap it around the girl's shoulders, pulling her closely into her side. Riley was exhausted, emotionally drained and sleep deprived. The grazes and scratches on her back causing a constant pain, the process of healing from her surgery still exhausting her tiny body.

Maura took a deep breath and loosened her grip on Jane's hand. "Would you perhaps like some coffee?"

"Thank you, but we should head back. Marcus is still at home." Judith answered, politely rejecting the kind offer.

"Marcus is my 10-year old brother," Sarah said as she turned around to look at Jane and Maura. "He probably burned the house down by now."

They laughed and Jane felt the tension easing in the room. "Well," Maura laughed, "I wish you good luck with extinguishing the fire then."

They all shared a few more laughs and exchanged polite goodbyes. They were already halfway out of the door when Sarah's father turned back and stood in front of the two women. "Uhm… Thanks for taking care of my girl," he said softly as he shook Jane's hand before turning to do the same with Maura.

"You're more than welcome." Maura replied with a sweet smile. "We're always happy to have her."

Stephen smiled and placed his hand on Judith's shoulder. "Well, I think you'll see a lot more of Sarah in the future."

Sarah and Riley shared a bright smile and an almost inaudible squeal at the man's words, causing Jane to chuckle and wrap her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"See you in school?" Sarah asked, referring to their class that would be starting in about two hours.

"Uhm…" Riley hesitated, looking up at Jane who still had her arm wrapped securely around her daughter's shoulders. Jane turned to her wife with a questioning look, causing the blonde to sigh deeply.

"I don't know if Riley will be in school today, Sarah. She's not feeling very well today," Maura said, slowly reaching over to caress her daughter's cheek for a second.

"Yeah... You don't look so good. Is it your stomach?"

Jane saw insecurity in her daughter's eyes and pulled her close, knowing that Sarah didn't know about Riley's abusive past and the emotional breakdowns it caused. "I don't know," Riley replied. "But I'll be fine."

"Okay." Sarah gave her friend a quick hug and smiled at Riley. "Don't stay away for too long, okay? School's no fun without you."

Riley smiled and broke the embrace to follow Sarah to the front door. "I won't leave you alone in algebra with Mrs. Parker."

The girls said their goodbyes and Sarah followed her parents towards the car, leaving the little Rizzoli-Isles family in the living room. Riley sighed deeply and let herself fall on the couch but flinched in pain.

"Be careful, baby," Jane said as she sat down next to the girl, pulling her in a warm embrace.

Riley nodded and snuggled closely in her mother's arms, nuzzling her head into Jane's chest. "I think Sarah will be fine," she whispered.

"Yes, she will be." Maura answered as she sat down next to her two loves, kissing the back of Riley's head.

"I thought her parents would be horrible people, but I don't think that's true."

"They just have different beliefs than we do." Maura replied, sweetly brushing her daughter's hair back. "That doesn't make them bad people. They just need some time to think about this and get used to it."

Jane smiled and pursed her lips, silently asking her wife for a kiss, which Maura happily gave her. Jane admired the way Maura always saw the good in other people. She never thought badly about others, she never judged anyone before she knew them and she never talked badly about strangers. Unlike Jane, who was sometimes too quick to judge.

Riley hummed and Jane felt the girl relaxing in her arms. She pulled her close into her chest, careful to avoid her injured back. Riley tucked her feet up on the couch and Maura gently grabbed them, pulling the girl's legs in her lap. "How are you feeling about school today, honey?" Maura asked.

Riley sighed deeply. "I don't know," she whispered. "I'm so tired. But I'm also so behind already."

"As important as your education is, it's not as important as your health." Maura replied, soothingly rubbing Riley's legs in her lap.

Jane felt her daughter nodding against her chest and kissed the top of her head. "I'm kinda looking forward to a day off with my girls." She winked at the blonde sitting next to her.

"I have to go into the office later anyway, Jane." Maura glared at her wife, but Jane saw a cheerful sparkle in her big hazel eyes.

"Can't you work from home, Mom?" Riley asked as she turned her head to look at her mother, truly wanting to spend a day with her mothers.

"I wish I could, sweetheart." Maura smiled and leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on Riley's forehead. "Unfortunately, I can't examine stomach contents at the kitchen counter." 

Riley wrinkled her nose and giggled softly. "Oh yeah."

"I can work from home today. Korsak can take the interrogation, I have to finish up some paperwork," Jane said with a smile, hoping that would be enough.

Riley hummed contently and allowed Jane to pull her back into her arms. They stayed silent for a while as Jane relaxed against the back of the couch with her daughter nestled closely in the embrace, Maura rubbing the girl's leg in her lap as she looked lovingly at her little family.

After a few minutes, Jane turned her head to look at her wife and the sight of tears trickling down the doctor's freckled cheeks startled her. "Maur," Jane whispered, moving one arm away from her daughter to wipe a tear away. "What's wrong?"

Maura snapped out of her thoughts and moved her gaze away from her daughter to the detective. She smiled lovingly and cupped Jane's hand on her cheek. "Nothing," she whispered. "I love you. Both. I love you both so much."

Jane smiled and wiped a tear with her thumb before she pulled her wife closer to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "I love you more," she whispered.

"You're kissing above me again." Riley mumbled after groaning softly.

Maura laughed and broke the kiss to press her lips against her daughter's temple. "I love you, my baby girl."

"I love you too, Mom." Riley smiled before burying herself back in her mother's arms again. "And you too, Ma."

Jane hummed and kissed the top of Riley's head. "I love you too, honey."

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Jane sighed deeply and laced her fingers with Maura's. "Hey Riley?"

"Hmm?"

"Were you serious about wanting a sister?"

Riley lifted her head and sat up a little so she could look at her mother. "Yeah. I mean, I don't wanna push you into getting another kid, I know you're having enough trouble with just me already, but sure, I'd like a brother or sister."

Jane looked at her wife and saw a bright smile plastered on the blonde's beautiful face. "You're not causing us any trouble, sweetheart," Maura said as she kept stroking Riley's long brown hair.

"Yeah, I'm just making you lose a lot of sleep at night." Riley smirked.

"We can take it." Jane replied with a light squeeze on Riley's arm.

"And I wouldn't want it any other way." Maura whispered in response.

"Are you planning on getting another kid?" Riley asked shyly.

"Before we started the process of fostering you, we talked about fostering multiple children. I never had siblings myself and I love the idea of a larger family." Maura smiled and didn't stop stroking Riley's long, tangled hair. "Not that you're not enough, our little family is perfect just the way it is."

"A brother or sister for you would only make it more perfect." Jane smiled.

Riley giggled softly and pulled her knees up on the couch, wrapping her arms around them. "Sarah always complains about her little brother Marcus. He always plays pranks on her. One time, he put glue on her bedroom doorknob and she was so angry with him she chased him down the street and the neighbors complained." She laughed for a moment but her laughs soon turned into a content smile. "I'd love to have a little brother or sister. Don't care which."

"You'd be an amazing sister, honey." Maura kissed Riley's temple again before she got up from the couch to get ready for work. "I'll make it quick, I can try to bring back dinner." She smiled and leaned down to kiss her wife as she passed her by. "Unless you'd like to cook?"

"Riley, would you like to cook dinner together?"

Riley nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Can we make homemade pizza?"

"Sure." Jane smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. "That's a great idea."

"Make sure to add enough vegetables, please." Maura called over her shoulder as she made her way upstairs.

"Yeah, along with enough pepperoni." Jane smirked at Riley, eliciting a small giggle. "Get back here," she whispered, pulling the girl back in her arms, leaning back into the pillows of the couch. "You beautiful kid."

Riley sighed and Jane saw a content but tired smile on the girl's face. "What are we going to do today?" she asked softly.

"You are going to get some more sleep." Jane answered, seeing how her daughter's eyelids were clearly getting heavy.

Riley hummed and Jane felt her tiny body relaxing every muscle as she snuggled into Jane's chest, pulling her legs up on the couch. "Yeah. I'll go to bed. Then you can work."

"Hmm no, you can sleep right here, honey." Jane said softly, seeing how comfortable and relaxed the girl was already. "Having you sleeping in my arms actually sounds more fun than paperwork."

_A/N I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter, but I hope you like it anyway. Also, please don't hate, it hurts me. Let me know what you think! _


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

It had been a few weeks since Riley's breakdown, Sarah's coming out and everything that came with it and life had been rather quiet since then. Sarah had been talking a lot with her parents, and even though it was still very difficult for them, they were trying to understand and educate themselves. Riley's back was healing rather well and she started going back to school fulltime. She was exhausted, but she would be done with the antibiotics soon, so her body wouldn't have to work so hard anymore.

Maura was currently working in her office, going over what seemed to be an endless amount of results from the crime lab. She just came back from picking up Riley at school, who was now reading a book for her English class on the couch in Maura's office. Usually, when Jane and Maura had to work late, the girl would stay home alone and Angela would try to check in on her if necessary, but today Riley had requested to come with her mother. The only homework she had was to finish this book and she could easily do that in Maura's office.

"Maura." Jane stomped into Maura's office, looking hasty and fussy. "I need to talk to you." It wasn't until she looked around that she saw Riley sitting on the couch. "Hey, baby. Didn't see you there." Jane smiled and kissed the top of her daughter's head, eliciting a sweet smile from the girl.

"What's wrong, Jane?"

Jane turned back to her wife and Maura saw a strange kind of urge in her brown eyes. She understood that Jane wanted to talk in private, so she stood up and followed her wife to the elevators after quickly caressing her daughter's hair, telling the girl that they'd be right back.

"Jane, you're scaring me. Did you find the suspect?"

"No. We found another murder. Married couple. Murdered in their own house." Jane pressed the elevator buttons so many times Maura thought it was going to fall off.

"Oh God." Maura said, closing her eyes. They had been working on a rather tough case, and the lack of progress frustrated them. The homicide teams had found two murdered couples, one of which they found today. There were two suspects, but they were nowhere to be found.

Maura followed Jane to the break room and stopped in the doorway, seeing a little blonde girl coloring at the table. "What's going on, Jane?" Maura asked, still not understanding why Jane had disturbed her work.

Jane turned to her wife and Maura saw that strange urge in Jane's eyes making place for a loving stare. "This is Lizzie." She explained softly, not audible for the small girl at the table. "She's five years old and her parents just got brutally murdered in their own home."

"Oh no." Maura whispered, immediately feeling the girl's pain.

"She hid in a closet in her room, that's where I found her." Jane explained, looking at Lizzie. "She immediately clung to me when I picked her up. She kept asking for her mommy and daddy and I had to tell her they were gone, forever. It made her cry but I don't think she fully understands yet. I brought her back here."

"Is her family picking her up?" Maura asked, touched by her wife's heartfelt words.

"That's the thing." Jane sighed and looked back at her wife. "She has none. The mom's parents died a long time ago, the dad has a mother, but she's 85 and tied to a wheelchair in Texas. They haven't seen each other in years. Lizzie has an aunt in Europe, we tried to contact her but she doesn't reply."

"That's it?"

"Yeah." Jane averted her gaze and leaned against the doorpost. "That's it."

Maura slowly started to realize why Jane brought the girl here and got Maura from her office. She placed her hand on Jane's upper arm and rubbed it lovingly. "Jane, babe, what are you trying to tell me?"

"I don't know, Maur. What if this is a sign from God, or the universe, or whatever?" Jane asked, looking directly at the blonde again. "A sign to expand our family?"

Maura smiled and felt tears burning in her eyes as she cupped her wife's cheek, pulling her into a quick and loving kiss. "A sign to adopt this little girl that needs a family?"

"Yeah," Jane replied with an insecure smile. "I mean, I know we talked about how it would be nice to have a boy, 'cause we already have a girl, but…"

"Life doesn't let you pick the gender of your kids." Maura answered softly. "We'll love either one. But Jane, I don't know if we're ready for this."

"Will we ever be?"

Maura thought about that question and concluded that the answer would probably be 'no'. There would always be something that would prevent them from getting another child. Life wasn't going to just make time for them, life wouldn't suddenly calm down for them. And sometimes, you have to take a leap. Maura immediately felt fear in her chest, but that fear disappeared when she saw the little girl looking up at the two women in the doorway.

"Hey, little girl." Jane greeted her softly with a sweet smile. She kneeled down next to the girl and placed her hands on her small knees. "You remember me?"

Lizzie nodded. "Yeah, you're from the police."

"Yes, I am." Jane turned to Maura and reached her hand to invite her down.

Maura kneeled next to her wife and looked at the little girl in the chair. She met with beautiful hazelnut brown eyes, framed with long light eyelashes. Lizzie's hair was blonde, curly and frizzy and Maura couldn't help seeing the resemblance with Jane's unruly curls.

"Hey Lizzie. I'm Maura."

Lizzie smiled shyly and nodded. "When are my mommy and daddy coming back?"

Maura snapped her attention to her wife and felt her throat closing up at the innocent question. Jane sighed and her eyes filled with pain. "I told you, honey. They're not coming back."

"Why?" Lizzie's bottom lip quivered and Maura saw thick tears in her brown eyes.

"Because…" Jane sighed and caressed the girl's cheek for a second, wiping a small tear. "They're not coming back, sweetie."

Lizzie looked down at her lap and tears kept falling down her cheeks, causing Jane to stand up and pull the little girl in her lap, taking Lizzie's place in the chair. She immediately clung to the detective as Jane hugged the tiny body close. "I'm sorry, honey." Jane whispered, rocking the girl back and forth.

Maura gently grabbed Lizzie's tiny hand and rubbed her knuckles. How do you tell a five-year old child that her parents died? The girl didn't understand what was happening and she just wanted her mommy and daddy. "Jane," Maura whispered, "can we prevent her from going into foster care?"

Jane rested her chin on top of blonde curls to look at her wife. "There's a social worker coming in, we'll have to ask."

Maura nodded and rubbed Lizzie's back for a moment. "What did you draw, Lizzie?"

The girl turned to her drawing and pointed with her small finger. "This is my room, with my bed and this is Stevie. This is me, in my closet and this is you from the police officer. When you picked me up 'cause my mommy and daddy are gone."

"It's a beautiful drawing." Maura complimented the girl, eliciting a proud smile.

They stayed silent for a few moments, Jane and Maura watching while Lizzie continued her drawing, not moving from Jane's lap. Eventually, Maura stood up and captured Jane's lips a in a sweet kiss. "I have to go back downstairs, I need to finish going through those reports if I want to make it home in time for dinner."

Suddenly Lizzie broke into a fit of giggles and put her small hands in front of her mouth. "You kissed a lady!" She giggled, looking up at Jane.

"Yes I did, a very beautiful lady." Jane answered with a smirk.

"But you're a girl!" Lizzie said, still giggling. "Girls kiss boys."

"Well, some girls kiss girls." Jane explained, trying to smooth Lizzie's unruly blond curls. "I don't like to kiss boys." Jane wrinkled her nose, eliciting another giggle from the small girl. "I like to kiss girls."

"Why?"

"Because girls are soft and pretty." Jane explained simply with a slight shrug.

Lizzie looked up at the brunette with a fascinated look on her young face. She reached her up and grabbed a strand of Jane's hair to play with. "You're soft and pretty too."

"That's why I like to kiss her," Maura said with a bright smile before pressing her lips against her wife's again. She wished all people would think like this little girl. She smiled and brushed Jane's hair back. "I'll go talk to Riley."

"Make sure you tell her nothing's final yet, okay? We're just seeing if we can take her in until we know more." Jane said, not wanting things to move too fast for their teenage daughter.

"I will." Maura smiled and squeezed Jane's shoulder before walking out of the break room. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll give you a call when the social worker gets here."

Maura walked back to the elevator and pressed the downstairs button to make her way back to her daughter. She knew Riley loved the idea of having a sibling, but it had always been a fantasy, a dream. It was getting very real now. Suddenly there was a small girl in need of a family and even though Maura was scared and not sure if she could raise two children, she wanted to give Lizzie a family more than anything. She felt the same urge that she felt when they started fostering Riley, that undeniable urge to offer a lonely girl a loving home.

"Hi, love." Maura said softly as she entered her office. "Get your feet off the couch." She sat down next to her daughter and lifted the girl's feet off her expensive designer couch.

Riley didn't avert her attention from her book until she felt her mother's arms wrapping around her shoulders. She closed her book and allowed Maura to pull her close, a surprised look showing on the girl's face. "What's going on, Mom?"

Maura hummed and kissed the side of Riley's head. "I just want to hug you for a while." Maura smiled and slightly pulled back to look at her daughter, brushing a strand of hair out of the girl's face. "I love you, honey."

Riley smiled as Maura pressed a loving kiss against her forehead. "I love you too, Mom."

Maura pulled back and looked lovingly in her daughter's bright blue eyes. "Listen. You know your ma has been very busy with a very difficult case, don't you?"

"Yeah. She told me there was someone that murdered a lot of people but they can't find him."

"Or her. Exactly. Now, this morning, two people were killed. A married couple from the other side of the city."

"That's awful." Riley whispered, truly mortified to hear the news.

"It is," Maura replied, tucking a strand of hair behind Riley's ear. "The two victims, they had a little daughter. A five-year old girl named Lizzie." Maura looked at her daughter and saw the realization hitting her. She tried to read her expression and saw both excitement and fear. "There's a social worker coming in to see if we can take her home with us."

"Are you gonna adopt her?" Riley asked, her voice laced with hesitation and insecurity.

"We don't know, honey." Maura said, immediately noticing the discomfort in her daughter. "Right now, we just want to take her in to prevent her from getting caught up in the foster system. That's all."

Riley nodded and allowed Maura to wrap her arms around the girl again. She felt Riley snuggling her head in the crook of her neck and she smiled lovingly, kissing the side of her head. "It's not that you're not enough, sweetheart," Maura whispered, desperately wanting to take away any possible insecurities and doubt about their love.

Riley nodded against her mother but Maura felt her daughter's skinny arms wrapping around her waist. "You're more than enough. You made our lives so much better and we're so, so happy that you're our daughter. We don't want a new daughter or a new chance, or whatever it may look like. You have to know that, honey."

"I know." Riley whispered through tears that suddenly welled up in her eyes.

Maura pulled back and cupped her daughter's face, her thumbs gently wiping away her tears. "We just want to look after Lizzie, that's all. Nothing is final yet."

"It's okay, Mom." Riley smiled and allowed Maura to wipe her tears with the back of her hand. The girl averted her gaze towards her lap, breaking eye contact. "It's just a little overwhelming suddenly I guess."

"I know. For us too." Maura whispered as she brushed Riley's long hair over the girl's shoulder. "But no matter what happens, we'll be your moms and you'll be our daughter and we'll always love you with all our hearts."

Riley nodded and wrapped her arms back around her mother, snuggling close into a warm embrace. Maura smiled and pulled her daughter close. "You might have to share our hugs though."

Riley chuckled and Maura felt the girl relaxing in her arms. "I can do that." Riley said with a smile. "Or we'll each pick a mother, that way I'll get your hugs and Lizzie gets all the hugs from Ma."

Maura laughed and slowly rocked her daughter back and forth, keeping her strong hold. She fought the urge to rub the girl's back, not wanting to tear open the injuries that were still there.

"Oh no, that won't work 'cause I'll miss Ma's hugs." Riley added after a moment of silence.

"Hmm, aren't my hugs better though?" Maura smirked.

"Nah." Riley shrugged. "You squeeze me so hard I can't breathe sometimes." She chuckled when Maura squeezed the girl into her.

Maura kept the embrace for a few minutes before her phone buzzed. She kissed her daughter's head and stood up to pick it up, seeing the screen lighting up with Jane's smiling face. "Hi, love."

"Hey. I talked to the social worker. Her name is Patricia. She said we can take Lizzie in for tonight, and we'll have to be at her office tomorrow so we can either sign the papers to foster her, or drop her off."

"And if we drop her off, she goes into foster care?"

"Yeah."

Maura rubbed her forehead and knew they wouldn't want that to happen. "So, we're taking her home?"

"If you ask me, yeah. She's pretty shaken up." 

"Are you sure, Jane?" Maura asked after a short silence, wanting her wife to be absolutely sure before they took this girl home.

"Yeah, what do you mean?"

"I mean…" Maura lowered her voice and turned around, not wanting to upset Riley. "If we take Lizzie home, we are going to fall for her. We're going to want to keep her in our family."

Jane stayed silent on the other end of the line, causing Maura to worry. "Babe?"

"I uhm… I hadn't thought about it like that."

Maura sighed and sat down on the edge of her desk, watching Riley going back to reading her book again while she waited for her wife to answer.

"Do you think we can do this?"

Maura hesitated for a second but quickly made up her mind. "Yes, I do."

"Then we can do it." Jane answered. "I like to think we're doing a good job with Riley, and I think it'd be good for her to have a sibling."

Maura watched Riley on her couch; her feet tucked up on it (with shoes, of course) while she read her book, a content and focused look on her face. "We are doing a good job." Maura whispered. "I just want us to be sure, Jane."

"Will we ever be?"

"No, Jane, that's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean? Maur, we've talked about this. I thought you wanted another kid!"

"I do!" Maura replied, startled by the anger in her wife's voice. "It's just… We've been talking about it for so long… I guess I didn't expect it to happen like this on a Wednesday afternoon, that's all."

"Maura, are _you _sure about this?"

Maura sighed and hesitated for a moment, but quickly spoke when she heard a concerned sigh on the other side of the line. "I don't want us to have less time for Riley, that's all. I want to have another child, I do. I really do."

"But Riley needs us." Jane finished for her wife.

"Yes."

"We both have two arms, that's enough to hug two kids." Jane replied, her voice laced with hope. "We both have enough love to love two kids."

Maura smiled at the way Jane always knew exactly how to put her at ease, how to make her stop overthinking things. "You're right. Let's take that girl home."

Two hours later, the entire family sat around the dinner table and Maura was trying to get Lizzie to eat her vegetables.

"I don't like veggies." Lizzie pouted.

"That's too bad, but they're good for you so you have to eat them, honey." Maura replied, holding a fork with a piece of carrot in front of Lizzie's mouth.

"No." Lizzie shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest, keeping her lips clamped together.

Maura sighed and lowered the fork on her plate. "Hey, Liz." Riley said, moving her chair a little closer to the little girl. "What if it's an airplane?" She took the fork from Maura and made airplane noises as she brought the fork closer to Lizzie's mouth, but she pulled it back when Lizzie giggled softly, her mouth still closed.

"Or… An ambulance?" Riley made loud siren noises, causing Lizzie to giggle a little louder. "Or maybe… Mom's car?" She made a soft humming noise as she brought the fork closer. "Mom's car doesn't make any noise 'cause it's real fancy," she whispered in Lizzie's ear, eliciting a loud giggle.

Finally, Lizzie opened her mouth and allowed Riley to feed her the carrots. Maura smiled brightly and looked at the other side of the table at her wife sitting opposite her, seeing an equally bright smile. She reached over the table and grabbed Jane's hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing lovingly as she looked deeply into sparkling brown eyes.

Lizzie ended up eating all her vegetables, allowing Riley to feed her. Maura was delighted and loved to see the sweet interactions between the two. After dinner, Riley helped clearing the dishes and Jane suggested watching a movie, which made both Riley and Lizzie rather happy.

"I wanna watch the lions!"

"The lions?" Maura asked, guiding Lizzie to sit next to her on the couch as she handed Riley the remote, knowing that her daughter was much faster in looking up movies.

"Yeah!" Lizzie jumped up and down on the couch. "With the lions and the big stinky pig!"

Maura heard Riley giggling loudly as she sat down on the other side of her mother. "The Lion King."

"I think 'The Lions And The Big Stinky Pig' is a much better title." Jane laughed as she sat next to Lizzie who was still bouncing on the couch.

Riley kept laughing as she flipped through the movies on the TV, looking for The Lion King. Maura smiled at the beautiful sound of her daughter's laughter and felt tears burning in her eyes when she watched Lizzie climbing on Jane's lap.

Jane gratefully welcomed the small girl in her arms, kissing Lizzie's temple as the girl snuggled closely in Jane's strong arms, resting her back against Jane's front while her gaze focused on the TV as the movie started.

After fifteen minutes, Riley leaned into Maura's side and the doctor gratefully wrapped her arm around her daughter while her other arm was occupied holding Jane's hand, rubbing her wife's knuckles and comforting them in endless love. Maura kissed the top of Riley's head and rested her cheek against the girl's temple as she watched Lizzie focusing intently on the TV, her right thumb sucked in her mouth, Jane's arms securely wrapped around her stomach.

Jane averted her gaze from the TV and looked at Maura, meeting with sparkling hazel eyes that filled with love. She carefully leaned over to capture the blonde's lips in a loving kiss, which Maura happily offered. She looked lovingly in her wife's eyes and squeezed Jane's hand.

"You were right." Jane whispered as she rested her cheek against Lizzie's head. "I fell for her."

Maura smiled and reached up to smooth Lizzie's unruly blond curls. "We all did, Jane."

_A/N I know I've updated yesterday, but I just couldn't wait for you guys to meet Lizzie! Please let me know what you think about this turn of events, your reviews make me happy. (Unless they are hurtful and meaningless, which I've received quite a few of lately, please don't do that.) I'd like to point out that English is not my native language, so I appreciate it if you tell me about any grammar mistakes I've made. I'd love to hear what you think of little Lizzie and what you would like to happen! _


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Jane? Did my daddy die? Like Simba's daddy in the lions movie?"

Jane swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked into Lizzie's light brown eyes that showed a childlike curiosity. Her unruly curls were wet from the shower Maura just helped her with and she was currently tucked into bed in the guestroom, the room in between Jane and Maura's and Riley's.

Jane brushed Lizzie's wet curls back and stroked her forehead before answering. "Yes, honey," she whispered. "That's what happened."

"And my mommy too?"

Jane swallowed and felt tears burning in her eyes at the girl's innocence. "Yes." She whispered barely audible. "And Maura and me, we're like Timon and Pumbaa, you're going to stay with us now."

Lizzie covered her eyes with her hands and broke out into loud giggles. "You're not Timon and Pumbaa! You're not stinky and you don't eat bugs!"

Jane laughed and tickled the girl's stomach for a second, enjoying the sound of her loud giggles. "No, we don't eat bugs and we take showers so we don't stink." The brunette's laugh fell and she turned serious, knowing that Lizzie needed to understand what happened to her parents. "But we are going to take care of you, just like Timon and Pumbaa took care of Simba."

Lizzie lifted her hands off her eyes and let them fall next to her head, looking like a tiny baby about to fall asleep. "Is my daddy never coming back?"

"No, sweetheart." Jane whispered. "He's not. Just like with Simba's daddy, there was a bad person that killed your mommy and daddy."

"Are they in the sky now too?"

Jane swallowed a lump in her throat and pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead. "Yes, honey. They're in the sky and they are watching over you."

Lizzie nodded and looked up at Jane with wide eyes that sparkled with a childlike fascination. She reached up her small arms as if she could touch the sky, wiggling her fingers in the air. "Are they gonna fall down?"

Jane chuckled and wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. "No, honey. They're not."

The girl lowered her arms, one to her side and one next to her head. "Can I visit them?"

"No." Jane whispered, keeping her loving strokes on Lizzie's forehead. "You can't visit them. But you can talk to them."

"Will they hear me?"

"Yeah."

"But I have to shout really, really loud 'cause the sky is aaaalll the way up there!" She reached her arms back up again, straining her fingers as high up in the air as she could reach.

"No, you don't have to shout." Jane answered with a smile. "Because a part of your parents is right in here." She whispered, placing her hand over the girl's heart. "And they can always hear you, even when your voice is just a whisper."

Lizzie smiled and lowered her head, placing her chin on her chest as she tried to talk to her heart under Jane's hand. "Mommy, daddy, can you hear me?" she whispered. "You can't talk back 'cause you all the way up in the sky, but I found my Timon and Pumbaa!"

Jane wiped another tear and looked over her shoulder when she heard movement, seeing Maura standing in the doorway. She smiled at her wife and motioned the blonde to get closer, which she happily did.

"Are you comfortable in here, sweetheart?" Maura asked softly.

"Yep." Lizzie nodded.

"Good." Jane smiled and pressed her lips against the girl's forehead, seeing that her eyelids were getting heavy. "Sweet dreams, honey."

"I'm gonna dream about the sky. And the lions." Lizzie grinned and snuggled to get comfortable in between the covers.

"That sounds like a good dream." Maura whispered. She kissed Lizzie's head while Jane got up from the bed. "Good night, Lizzie."

Maura turned off the lights and followed her wife back downstairs, but stopped when Jane stood still at the top of the stairs. She turned around and cupped Maura's face to press her lips against her wife's, causing Maura to wrap her arms around Jane's neck. They stared in each other's eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the embrace.

"I'm already in love with her." Jane smiled.

Maura chuckled and kissed her wife's lips again, letting it linger for a moment. "I always assumed that you were in love with me, Jane Rizzoli."

"Yeah-, I m-, c'mon Maur, you know what I mean." Jane grunted.

Maura laughed and tangled her hands in Jane's curls. "I do." She smiled. "I feel the same way. She's truly a fantastically sweet little girl."

"I want her to stay."

"Me too," Maura whispered.

Jane sighed and kissed Maura's lips again before grabbing her hand to lead her downstairs. "I'd like to kiss you a little longer but there's another fantastically sweet girl downstairs waiting for some more mommy-snuggles."

Maura laughed and followed her wife down the stairs, fingers linked closely together. "One day you'll run out of mommy-snuggles, you know."

"Nah." Jane shrugged. "My mom still hasn't run out and she's been a mother for almost forty years."

"Hmmm." Maura hummed and stopped her wife before she could walk into the kitchen. "That means we have at least 39 years of mommy-snuggles left."

"I can't decide if that sounds amazing or exhausting."

Maura chuckled and walked into the living room while Jane went to the kitchen to grab something to drink. "I think it's both." Maura said while she sat down next to Riley on the couch. She was reading her book. "Feet off the table, please," she said as she lifted the girl's legs.

Jane watched Riley lifting her feet off the table and snuggling in Maura's open arms, not moving her attention from the book. She smiled to herself while she turned to grab a wineglass for Maura. She never thought she would've used the word 'mommy-snuggles' in a non-sarcastic way and she sure as hell didn't expect she would grow to love those snuggles so much. There wasn't much left of the tough, badass detective Rizzoli and in a way, that stung her. She missed that part of her, the part of her she only showed at work now. But on the other hand, she wouldn't change her life for anything in the world.

A few hours later, the two women lay cuddled up in bed, Maura lying partly on top of Jane, Jane's arms securely wrapped around her wife. They were enjoying a peaceful and much needed sleep when a tiny voice woke them up.

Jane opened her eyes and saw Lizzie standing next to the bed, tears streaming down her small face, her thumb still in her mouth. "What's wrong, baby?" Jane asked.

"I miss Mommy and Daddy." Lizzie mumbled, not moving the thumb from her mouth.

"Oh, honey." Maura whispered as she lifted herself off her wife. "Come here."

Jane sat up to lift the girl up and put her down in between Maura and herself. Maura covered them in blankets and Lizzie snuggled in close. "Why did my mommy and daddy go all the way up in the sky?" she asked softly, her voice sounding so weak and vulnerable it broke Jane's heart. "I miss them when they're all the way up there."

"I know, baby." Jane whispered, gently smoothing Lizzie's messy curls. "I don't know why they are up there and not here with you."

Lizzie nodded and turned on her side, hiding her face into Jane's chest while Maura rubbed the girl's back, kissing the back of her head. "Go to sleep, honey," Maura whispered. "It's all going to be okay."

It didn't take long for the small girl to cry herself to sleep, securely wrapped in two pairs of motherly arms. Jane rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head and looked at her wife, admiring her beautiful facial features in the dark. She was just about to whisper a declaration of her endless love when the sound of heartbreaking whimpers startled them.

The bedroom door was still open and Riley stood in the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself while tears were streaming down her face. Maura immediately sat up and opened her arms, but Riley shook her head when she saw Lizzie already lying in Jane's arms.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered. She was about to turn around when Maura's strict whispers stopped her.

"Riley Rizzoli-Isles, get your butt back here." Maura whispered loudly, causing Jane to flinch, expecting Lizzie to wake up but the girl stayed asleep.

Riley let out a silent sob and fell into her mother's open arms, sitting down on the edge of the bed while Maura hugged her close. "Just because Lizzie came to us doesn't mean you can't," the doctor said, her tone soft but surprisingly strict. She pulled back and cupped Riley's face, looking directly into her shimmering eyes. "Okay?"

Riley nodded and buried herself in Maura's arms again. Jane watched her wife resting her cheek against Riley's temple and saw the unconditional love edged on the blonde's face. Their daughter cried softly and Maura pulled her down on the bed, hugging her comfortingly close.

"We love you, baby." Jane whispered, stroking the side of her daughter's head. "Lizzie coming here doesn't change that in any way."

"I know." Riley mumbled into Maura's chest.

"Why'd you come in here, honey?" Maura asked sweetly.

Riley sighed deeply. "At first I couldn't sleep 'cause my back hurts. But then I finally fell asleep and I had a stupid dream."

Maura hummed and pressed her lips against the side of Riley's head. "What was it about?" she whispered.

"Same as usual. My father burning me. But this time he took me away from you and Ma 'cause he said he wanted me back," Riley said softly, her voice laced with tears and pain.

"Oh baby," Maura whispered. Jane saw tears shimmering in the blonde's eyes and she carefully untangled an arm from Lizzie to wipe them away. Riley had a lot of nightmares and she often came to Jane and Maura for comfort, and it hurt them every single time. "He's not getting you back."

"I know. He's dead."

"Yes, and even if he were still alive, he would never get you back." Maura whispered, placing continuous soothing kisses on her daughter's head. "No one is ever taking you away from us and we're never letting you go."

Maura watched her daughter's lips curling up in a grateful smile as she relaxed in Maura's arms. "Go to sleep, honey." Jane whispered, her chin still resting on top of Lizzie's head. The girl was out like a light.

Riley shook her head but didn't move from Maura's arms. "Yes, my baby." Maura whispered.

"I'll go to my own bed so you'll have more space." Riley whispered softly as she fumbled with the sheets.

"I know that when you have nightmares they come back multiple times a night and I know you'll be afraid to go back to sleep if you're all alone in your room." Maura said quietly, her voice sweet and soft. "It's your choice sweetheart, but I'd like you to stay right here."

Riley hesitated for a moment but slowly nodded after Maura pulled her close. Jane smiled and listened to the steady breathing of the tiny girl in her arms, looking over to her wife and daughter, feeling her heart swelling with love. The bed was filled with too many people, but they were the most important people in Jane's life and she didn't want it any other way.

After a short and restless night of sleep, Lizzie was fuzzing in Jane's arms, causing the detective to wake up with a slight groan. She looked at the alarm clock and saw that it wasn't even six thirty yet, but when she looked at the little girl next to her, she saw that she was wide awake and not planning on going back to sleep.

"Good morning, sweet girl." Jane smiled and brushed Lizzie's messy curls back. They were even messier than last night, due to the fact that she fell asleep with wet hair.

"Morning!" Lizzie said a little too loud, causing Jane to shush her and put her hand over the girl's mouth.

"Shh, don't wake up Maura and Riley," she whispered with a bright smile. "C'mon, let's go make some breakfast." Jane lifted Lizzie off the bed and smiled when the girl wrapped her small arms around Jane's neck, allowing the detective to carry her out of the bedroom.

"Can we have pancakes?" Lizzie asked as Jane put her down before walking down the stairs, not wanting to take the challenge of carrying a bouncing five-year old down the stairs.

"I don't know, kiddo. Maura says it's not healthy." Jane smirked. She'd be making pancakes anyway, but she liked to tease.

"My mommy says that too but Daddy makes them anyway." Lizzie said, looking up at Jane as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "With chocolate chips!"

Jane laughed and lifted Lizzie to put her on top of the kitchen counter. "I'm afraid we don't have chocolate chips, Lizzie." She smiled and kissed Lizzie's forehead when the girl showed a slight pout. "But, we do have blueberries and syrup!"

"Yeah!" Lizzie yelled, bouncing on the kitchen counter as she watched Jane getting out the ingredients for pancakes.

"Be careful, honey. Don't bounce like that, you'll fall off."

"No I won't." Lizzie crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave Jane a challenging look. "Look, I can jump!" Lizzie lifted herself up to stand on the counter and was about to jump up and down when Jane scooped her up in her arms.

"No, no." She put the girl back down and looked sternly at her. "I'm serious, don't jump and bounce, you can fall off."

"I won't fall off." Lizzie looked directly in Jane's eyes and Jane saw anger and absolute determination in the girl's light brown eyes.

"Maybe not, but I'm not taking the risk." Jane had to fight the urge to smile at Lizzie's adorable pout and stay strict. "Now you can _sit still_ on the counter and make pancakes with me, or you're sitting on a chair over there. You choice."

Lizzie lowered her head and her pout disappeared. "I wanna stay here."

"And…?"

"Don't jump."

"That's right." Jane smiled and caressed Lizzie's curls. "Now, help me crack these eggs."

It turned out Lizzie wasn't quite old enough to know how to properly crack an egg and actually make it to the bowl, causing the kitchen counter to end up covered in egg, as well as Lizzie herself.

"I have egg-pajamas, Jane!" Lizzie giggled, throwing her head back as she pointed at her pajama bottoms that had egg all over them.

"Yeah you do." Jane laughed. "And Maura's not gonna be happy about that. You just showered last night!"

"I don't need a shower." Lizzie giggled. "My pajamas needs a shower."

"That's called laundry." Jane smirked while she cleaned the counter. "Except you have egg on your hands and now in your hair."

Lizzie's smile fell and she looked at her hands and back up at Jane, her eyes wide in guilt. "Oh."

Jane chuckled and caressed Lizzie's cheek. "Don't worry, we'll get you cleaned up."

"Yes, and you better get the kitchen cleaned up too." Maura walked into the kitchen with a loving smile on her face. She approached Jane and cupped her face to kiss her wife's lips. "Good morning, beautiful."

Jane smiled and happily accepter another loving kiss, admiring the gorgeous beauty in of her wife. Maura was still wearing her silk pajamas, her hair tight in a loose ponytail, her face wiped free from makeup, shining with natural beauty. "I love you." Jane whispered before kissing her wife again and turning back to the pancake batter.

"I love you too." Maura smiled and grabbed two cups to make some coffee. "And how's this little girl this morning?" she asked, tickling Lizzie's stomach for a second.

"I'm not little!" Lizzie pouted. "I'm big."

"Yeah, little miss Lizzie's gonna be a handful, Maur." Jane smirked.

Maura chuckled and poured the coffee. "Okay, how's my big girl this morning?"

Lizzie's pout turned into a proud smile. "Good."

"Where's Riley?" Jane asked while she flipped a pancake.

"Trying to wake up." Maura smiled and gave Jane her coffee, along with a sweet kiss. "I gave her five minutes so she should be downstairs soon."

Jane hummed and watched Maura lifting Lizzie in her arms, eliciting a cheerful giggle as she sat the girl down on one of the stools, in front of a yet empty plate. Maura kissed the top of Lizzie's curls and caressed her cheek for a second. "The appointment with the social worker is today at two. Will you be able to make that, Jane?"

"Yeah, I think I can clear my schedule." Jane smirked while she put a pancake on Lizzie's plate, watching the girl digging in immediately. "Are we talking about fostering, adopting, what's happening?"

"Technically, she's probably going into the foster system so we'll be fostering her at first. But I think we can push forward to adoption rather quickly."

"Hmm okay." Jane turned back to the stove to whip up a few more pancakes for Riley and was surprised to feel Maura's arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

"We're still sure about that, aren't we?" Maura asked softly, her chin resting on Jane's shoulder.

Jane could feel her wife's breath just below her ear and felt a shiver running down her spine. "Yeah." She whispered. "Are you?"

Maura tilted her head on Jane's shoulder and Jane knew she was watching Lizzie eating her breakfast. "Yes, I am," she whispered.

"We have to talk to Riley first," Jane replied, flipping a pancake after adding come blueberries. "Y'know, before we make anything official."

"Yes, we do." Maura placed a wet kiss on the back of her wife's neck, eliciting a small moan from the brunette.

"Hmm, I'm not saying I don't like a bed full of kids, but I kinda miss you." Jane whispered, leaning back into Maura's front, feeling the blonde's arms wrapping tighter around her waist.

"I miss you too." Maura whispered after placing another wet kiss on Jane's neck. "We could swing by the house after the appointment at the adoption center," she whispered seductively. "We go home, take a nice hot bath together…"

Jane stifled a moan and neglected the pancakes for a few moments to kiss her wife's perfect lips. "Skip the bath, I just wanna have hot sex with you," she whispered barely audible, her voice husky and laced with arousal.

She felt Maura moaning softly in her ear, pushing her front into Jane's back. "I'm looking forward to it."

Lizzie's loud high-pitched voice interrupted their romantic moment. "I wanna have another pancake!"

Maura laughed and kissed Jane's neck before turning around. "How do you ask nicely?"

"I wanna have another pancake, please!"

"Good enough." Jane smirked and flipped another pancake onto Lizzie's plate.

Maura gave Jane a warning glare and was about to tell her wife how to properly raise a five-year old girl but the sight of Riley walking in to the kitchen changed her mind. "Good morning, love." Maura smiled and tilted her head. "That was fifteen minutes, young lady."

"Come on Mom, what are you younglady-ing me for? I got out of bed _and _got dressed in fifteen minutes!"

Maura hummed and kissed Riley's temple while the girl walked towards Jane in the kitchen. "Okay, just this once." Maura smiled. "Although shouldn't you have taken a shower?"

"Nah, she's fine." Jane smiled and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders as she kissed Riley's cheek.

"I showered after soccer practice yesterday." Riley kissed Jane's cheek as a way of saying good morning and looked at the pancake batter. "Oh, pancakes with blueberries!"

"That's right." Jane smiled and smoothed Riley's hair back. "Grab a plate, they'll be ready in a second."

Riley nodded and grabbed a plate from the cabinet before sitting next to Lizzie. "Are they good?" she softly asked the girl with a smile.

Lizzie nodded furiously. "They're a-mazing!" she said with her mouth full of pancake.

"Shh, don't talk with your mouth full otherwise mom's gonna call you young lady." Riley whispered in Lizzie's ear.

Lizzie swallowed. "What's a young lady?"

"When mom calls you young lady, that means you did something bad."

"Really?" Lizzie looked at Riley with wide eyes, fascination showing on her small face.

"Yep. And if Ma's eyes get very dark and her mouth turns into a sharp stripe, that means you're in even more trouble."

"That's scary," Lizzie whispered.

Riley laughed and took a sip of her milk. "Nah, it's okay. They're never mad for long. Before you know it, they'll be covering you in hugs and kisses again."

Lizzie smiled and took another bite of her pancakes. "Kisses are good. My mommy gives the best kisses," she said, again with her mouth full.

Riley's smile fell and she looked at Jane and Maura on the other side of the kitchen counter. Jane felt Maura's arm wrapping around her waist and squeezing lovingly as they watched their two girls sitting next to each other, Riley's eyes showing care and love.

Riley ruffled Lizzie's messy curls and placed a sweet kiss on top of the girl's head. "My mommies too."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"I don't wanna take a shower!" Lizzie screamed, trying to get away from Maura's strong arms.

The girl had been a part of their family for three weeks now. For now Jane and Maura were just fostering her, but the process of adopting had been started and Lizzie was already a handful.

"You have to, Lizzie." Maura said in a strict tone. "You played soccer with Riley all afternoon and now you have to take a shower."

"No!" Lizzie yelled and she managed to get free from Maura's grip and run off towards her bedroom, which they had started decorating according to Lizzie's taste. The room had many bright colors, but no pink, no butterflies and no flowers. Lizzie had been rather strict about that.

"Elizabeth Rizzoli-Isles, get back here!" Maura yelled, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm not Rizzoli!" Lizzie yelled. "I'm Peyton!"

Maura sighed and felt a sting of pain in her chest. She remembered how happy Riley was when she had called her Riley Rizzoli-Isles. This was a completely different reaction and she didn't see it coming. She could have. Riley needed a new family, she was left alone, on her own for a very long time and she was in desperate need of a loving home. Lizzie had all that. She had a loving home, two amazing parents and everything she needed. It got harshly ripped away from her. Lizzie didn't ask for a new family, she didn't want a new home. It just happened to her.

There had been a funeral and Maura and Jane attended with Lizzie, but other than a lot of colleagues from Lizzie's parents and a great-aunt, there was no family. Lizzie didn't quite understand what was happening and Maura wasn't even sure if the girl realized her parents were never coming back. She was mainly just fuzzy and acted like any other five-year old would at a funeral.

After the funeral, the three visited Lizzie's former house since it wasn't a crime scene anymore. They brought all of Lizzie's necessary stuff, but Lizzie acted like she was packing for a trip. No matter how many times they told her, Maura still wasn't sure Lizzie understood that her parents were dead.

"Okay then, Elizabeth Peyton," Maura said, her tone a little softer but still strict. "Get in here, you need to take a shower."

"No."

"Yes." Maura walked into Lizzie's bedroom and saw the girl sitting on her bed, her face looking angry, her arms crossed.

"Why?"

"Because you're dirty and because I say so, and you have to listen to what I say." Maura explained simply but sternly.

"You're not my mommy."

Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and her throat closing up. Lizzie was right, she wasn't her mother and right now, the doctor doubted if she would ever be. This was completely different than when they first took in Riley. Lizzie was so young, and still in a state of denial regarding her parents' death.

Maura kneeled in front of the girl and placed her hands on Lizzie's knees. "I know I'm not your mommy, sweetheart," she said softly. "But I am supposed to take care of you. And that means you have to listen to me and do as I say. Okay?"

Lizzie looked into Maura's eyes and her expression softened. She slowly nodded. "Good," Maura said softly. "Now, can you take off your clothes so we can go take a shower?"

"I don't wanna take a shower," Lizzie repeated, a little softer this time.

Maura sighed and lowered her head. "You have to, Lizzie."

Suddenly Jane walked into the girl's bedroom. She had been working late and just got home from working on an intense case, so she was rather frustrated. The person who killed Lizzie's parents had an awfully good lawyer, and there was another murder to solve so the homicide team was incredibly busy and quite stressed.

"Hey, kiddo." Jane smiled and kneeled next to Maura, looking into Lizzie's light brown eyes. "What did I hear, you don't wanna take a shower?"

"No."

"Well, I suppose you don't know about the dirt-monster then?" Jane smirked.

"The dirt monster?" Lizzie's expression turned from anger to fascination.

"Yeah." Jane lowered her voice, but her eyes showed a slight sparkle. "When you don't shower, you get dirty. And the dirt-monster reeeallly likes dirt."

"Really?"

"Yep. And he wants to eat the dirty kids." Jane smirked and tickled Lizzie's stomach, eliciting a loud giggle. "Do you want to be eaten?"

Lizzie let herself fall back on the bed, laughing loudly as Jane continued her tickles. Maura stood up and watched them with a slight smile, but she felt a sting of pain in her chest at the fact that she wasn't able to get Lizzie to shower. She wasn't in favor of threatening with fake monsters, afraid to cause unnecessary fear in the child, but she was getting desperate and sighed in relief when her wife found a way to get Lizzie in the shower.

"You didn't answer me," Jane said as she tickled Lizzie's side, "do you want to be eaten?"

"No!" Lizzie laughed. "No!"

"Then go to the shower, quickly before the monster can smell your dirt!" Jane tickled Lizzie and lifted the girl off the bed, throwing the girl over her shoulder as she ran towards the bathroom, Lizzie giggling loudly on her shoulder.

Maura followed them and watched Jane helping taking the girl's clothes off as Maura adjusted the shower to comfortable warmth. She grabbed Lizzie's bottle of shampoo, the conditioner and shower foam and handed Jane a washcloth. She gave her detective a quick kiss and stroked her cheek for a second. "Don't forget the conditioner, otherwise we won't be able to get a brush through her hair tomorrow."

"Wait, you're not gonna help?"

Maura sighed and looked at Lizzie who was jumping around the bathroom while she shook her pants off. "I know you're tired Jane, but…"

"No, I'm not tired." Jane interrupted her. "I mean, I am, but I don't mind helping her shower. I'm just wondering why you don't want to do it? Something's bothering you."

"She doesn't listen to me, Jane," Maura said softly. "She wants you."

"That's not true, Maur." Jane whispered, her eyes showing a loving empathy.

Maura looked at Lizzie who threw her pants around the bathroom and was now only wearing her underwear. "Yes, it is."

She smiled a sad smile at Jane and caressed Lizzie's hair for a second before she walked out of the bathroom, making her way downstairs to her daughter, who did want her. Riley was sitting on the large garden seat in the backyard, reading a book and writing what was probably a short recap in her notebook, something she did when she was studying for a test.

Maura smiled at the sight of Riley's brow furrowed in concentration, her face focused on the book as she chewed on her pen. "Hi, love." Maura said softly as she walked outside, placing a sweet kiss on top of Riley's head. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks, I'm good." Riley replied, not moving her attention from her book.

Maura nodded and let her arms fall to her side, feeling a hint of disappointment at not being able to do anything for her girls. She was about to walk back inside when Riley's soft voice stopped her. "You're not gonna sit with me?"

Maura smiled lovingly at the disappointment in her daughter's voice and walked back to her. "Of course." She guided Riley to move over and sat down next to her, gathering the girl in her arms. She felt Riley shifting to pull her feet up, resting her notebook against her knees as she leaned back into Maura's arms, accepting a sweet kiss on the back of her head.

"What are you studying?" Maura asked softly.

"Sociology." Riley replied, snuggling closely in Maura's arms in attempt to get comfortable. "It's about activism, it's pretty fascinating."

Maura hummed and pulled her daughter close, endlessly grateful to feel the girl's need for physical affection. Lizzie was so completely different than Riley, the two weren't even comparable. Riley liked dressing up, she wanted Maura to do her hair and she loved to just sit and spend time with her mothers. Lizzie on the other hand always whined when Jane or Maura tried to brush her hair, she _hated _dresses and she was always running around, energized as ever. The only thing the girls had in common was the fact that they both liked to be in Jane and Maura's arms, relishing in their physical affection.

Maura couldn't help but feel hurt about the fact that Lizzie took after Jane so much. She loved seeing the similarities with her wife and she loved seeing how Jane and Lizzie bonded, but she wished she had the same. Maura wasn't the 'fun' parent; she wasn't good at making jokes and making the girls laugh. She knew that and it had never bothered her, until now.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"When's Lizzie's adoption gonna be final?"

"I'm not sure yet, the process takes up quite a lot of time." Maura smiled and breathed in the nightly air. Riley and Lizzie got along famously and were always having fun, but Maura knew Riley needed time to get used to another girl in the household.

"What are you thinking, my love?" Maura asked softly, seeing her daughter lost in thought.

Riley shrugged. "Nothing."

Maura smiled and pulled the girl close. "It takes time to get used to. It takes time to get used to the fact that you have to share me and your ma."

Riley sighed deeply and Maura heard tears in her breath. "I feel awful for feeling that way," she whispered.

"Oh, please don't." Maura said sweetly. "It's completely normal."

"But I'm not the only one who deserves a great family. Lizzie deserves it too."

"It has nothing to do with what you deserve or don't deserve, sweetheart," Maura whispered, resting her cheek against her daughter's temple. "It takes time."

"I want her to be my sister," Riley whispered. "I do, it's just… I don't know."

Maura smiled and swallowed a lump in her throat. "You're not used to having to share our love. You never had a sibling; you've always been on your own. And now there's suddenly a five-year old girl running around the house, demanding our attention, needing our time."

"I don't mind that."

"I know you don't. I don't either. But I need time to get used to it as well."

"You do?" Riley turned to lean into Maura's side, resting her head on her mother's shoulder as she closed her book.

"Yeah. But I know we all have enough love in our hearts to give her all the love she needs. And we'll get used to it."

"I know," Riley whispered and accepted a kiss on her cheek.

"It doesn't affect our love for you, Riley," Maura said, pulling her daughter close. "We still love you with all our hearts. That won't ever change."

"I know." Riley smiled and shivered lightly. She was wearing a thin sweater and even though the summer was approaching quickly, the evenings were still rather cold.

Maura wrapped her arms tighter around her daughter and squeezed her close, trying to warm her up. "I love you, baby girl."

Riley smiled and hugged her knees to her chest, snuggling her entire body into Maura's warm arms. "I love you too."

Maura sighed happily and suddenly remembered the summer dance at Riley's school. "Hey sweetie, that summer dance is next week, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going with someone?" Maura asked, carefully hearing her daughter out about possible dates.

"Yeah." Riley smiled a sweet smile and stared into the distance.

"Who?" Maura asked with a bright and curious smile.

Riley sighed and fumbled with her sweater. "Don't tell Ma, okay?"

"I can't promise that, honey," Maura replied softly. "We talk about everything and I'm sure she'll be supportive."

Riley took a deep breath and snuggled closer in Maura's arms. "I asked Josh."

"Really?" Maura squealed, but her voice dropped when she saw her daughter rolling her eyes. "Sorry. What did he say?"

"He said he was already going with Karen."

"I'm sorry," Maura whispered, hearing the disappointment in her daughter's voice.

"But Karen's got Mono." Riley continued, a little more insecure. "So she can't go."

"So… you were his second choice?" Maura asked, feeling a hint of annoyance for this Josh person. Her daughter should be everyone's first choice and every boy was lucky to even get her attention.

"Yeah, but I'm still his choice." Riley said, a little dreamy. "He's picking me up next Friday."

"How?"

"With his car. He's 16, he got held back in seventh grade."

Maura hummed and kissed the top of Riley's head. She tried to be supportive and balance Jane's protective and annoyed reaction, but she felt the same annoyance and dislike for this boy who didn't seem to appreciate her beautiful daughter. "I'm not sure if I like that." Maura said softly.

"He has his driver's license, Mom." Riley smirked. "He'll pick me up and bring me home."

"Hmm, as long as you allow your Ma to welcome him and talk to him before you leave, then it's okay."

"But Ma will search him and give him a hard time!" Riley protested.

"Yes, and if he can take that, he's a good guy," Maura replied strictly. She wasn't going to keep Jane away from Josh and she kind of wanted her wife to give this boy a hard time.

Riley sighed and rested her head back on Maura's shoulder. "Okay," she whispered.

"And you have to be home by midnight. Not a minute later."

"Midnight? Come on, Mom!"

"No discussion." Maura said sternly. "Twelve AM sharp."

Riley grunted but knew she shouldn't press on. "Fine."

They stayed silent for a long time, enjoying the embrace, listening to the sound of crickets and birds going to sleep as the smell of a late spring evening made them both sleepy.

After a while, Lizzie slowly came walking outside, followed by Jane. "Whoa, don't walk outside with bare feet," Jane corrected Lizzie before she could step out the door, "then we'll have to shower all over again." She scooped the girl up in her arms and stepped in front of Maura and Riley, carrying Lizzie on her hip.

Maura looked up at the girl in her wife's arms and smiled at the sight of her wet curls, freshly washed face and those beautiful, big brown eyes. Despite her hurt and doubts, the doctor couldn't help but fall for this little girl every time. "Did you ward off the dirt-monster?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah." Lizzie nodded but didn't smile. She looked rather shy and a little uncomfortable.

"Lizzie has something to say," Jane said with a wink at Maura, smoothing Lizzie's wet curls.

Lizzie sighed and looked down at Maura on the garden seat. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jane pushed on.

"For not acting nice and not listening." Lizzie's bottom lip quivered and Maura saw tears in her eyes, causing Maura's throat to close up with tears of her own.

"Thank you for apologizing, sweetheart," Maura said softly. She was immensely grateful to see Lizzie's small arms reaching out towards her as Maura's tears spilled onto her cheeks. She loosened her grip on Riley and gratefully took the small girl from Jane's arms to pull her into her lap.

Lizzie immediately snuggled comfortably in Maura's arms and rested her cheek on Maura's chest as the doctor's arms wrapped securely around her. "I love you, honey," Maura whispered. "Even when I have to be strict with you."

"You mean when I'm not listening?" Lizzie asked before she sucked her thumb into her mouth.

"Yes." Maura answered as she kissed the top of Lizzie's head. "You know you're not supposed to act like that, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you're not going to act like that again?"

"No."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Maura smiled and pulled the girl close, smelling her children's shampoo, her freshly brushed teeth, soaking in the girl's lovely scent. "Good girl."

She looked up at Jane and saw Jane winking at Riley, who sat next to Maura and Lizzie, her knees still hugged to her chest. Maura smiled and wrapped one arm around her daughter's shoulders, as the other stayed securely wrapped around the small girl in her lap. "See? I have enough arms to hug both of you," she whispered, eliciting a shy laugh from Riley.

Maura pulled her girls close but loosened her tight grip when Riley made a loud fart noise, causing Lizzie to break out in a fit of giggles. "We can't breathe, Mom," Riley said with a smile.

"You did a mouth-fart!" Lizzie giggled as she pointed at Riley.

"Because of Mom!" Riley defended herself, giving Lizzie's stomach a light pinch.

Lizzie laughed loudly and squirmed in Maura's lap. Maura was about to correct the girls on their inappropriate talk when Lizzie's laughing voice called out, "Mommy made you fart!"

Riley's smile immediately fell and she looked at Maura with wide eyes. Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and looked up at Jane, who was staring lovingly at her girls. It was probably just a slip of the tongue and Lizzie didn't even think about it, but the girl called her 'mommy' and it made Maura's heart swell with love.

"She said mommy," Riley whispered with a bright smile. "Congrats, Mom."

Maura laughed and wiped a tear from her cheek before pressing her lips against Riley's forehead and pulling Lizzie close into her arms. "Thank you."

Lizzie was still slightly giggling about Riley's fart sound, but Maura saw her thumb sneaking up to her mouth again and her eyelids getting heavy. She kissed the top of Lizzie's head and rested her cheek on top of it. "You have to go to sleep, honey."

"I'm not tired." Lizzie replied in a sleepy voice, resting her head against Maura's chest.

Maura laughed and kissed Riley's cheek before lifting Lizzie off her lap and standing up. "You still have to go to bed."

"You want me or Maura to bring you?" Jane asked as she watched Maura carrying the girl in her arms, avoiding her going running around the backyard in her pajamas with no shoes.

Lizzie bounced up and down in Maura's arms and looked at the doctor. "You! You have to read the story 'bout Peter Pan!"

"How do you ask nicely?"

"Can you read the Peter Pan story, please?" Lizzie asked much more politely, lacing her fingers in Maura's hair on her back as she rested her head on the doctor's shoulder while Maura carried her into the house. She looked over her shoulder to see Jane sitting down next to Riley and smiled when her daughter laughed at something Jane said.

She continued to tuck Lizzie into bed and reading her a part of the story of Peter Pan, not wanting to read the entire story since it was way too long. Lizzie was already halfway asleep when Maura closed the book. She put the book away, tucked the girl in and placed a loving kiss on Lizzie's forehead before turning off the lights, leaving the door slightly open before she walked back downstairs to meet her wife and daughter playing cards at the kitchen counter.

"Beat ya." Jane smirked as she threw her cards on the table.

"Ah, crap!"

"Riley, watch your language!" Maura glared at her daughter. Her glare turned into a loving smile when Jane handed her a delicious and much needed glass of wine.

"You should take a shower and go to bed on time, honey." Maura said to Riley after she took a sip of her wine, her arm wrapping around Jane's waist.

"But I wanna play some more!" Riley whined, referring to the game she'd been playing with Jane.

Maura groaned in frustration and leaned into Jane's side. "Don't tell me I have to call you out too, Riley. One unruly girl is enough for tonight. You'll get your turn tomorrow."

Riley smiled and assembled the cards, piling them up in a neat stack. "Okay, but I can be worse than Lizzie."

Maura laughed and leaned back against the counter. "No, you're not. You're way too sweet for that."

"Go to bed, honey," Jane added in her soft, husky tone.

"One more game?" Riley asked, raising her eyebrows, looking hopeful.

"No." Jane said in a strict tone. "Besides, your mom and I will be making out for the rest of the night so I think you're gonna wanna go upstairs."

"Ew." Riley wrinkled her nose and hopped off her stool to clear away the cards. She was about to walk upstairs when Jane stopped her.

"Whoa hey, just because we want you to go to bed doesn't mean we don't want a goodnight kiss."

Riley smiled and turned on her heels, walking back to her mothers to wrap her arms around them both. "I love you, moms."

Maura kissed the side of her daughter's head and pulled her close. "I love you too, my baby girl."

Riley untangled herself from her moms and stepped away. "Sweet dreams, baby." Jane said softly. "I love you."

"Good night."

As soon as Riley left the kitchen, Jane's lips were on Maura's, her hands on the doctor's waist, their bodies pressed against each other. Maura moaned in surprise but happily accepted the kiss, exploring the familiar territory of her wife's mouth with her tongue. As they finally broke the kiss, Maura tangled her hands in Jane's black curls and looked lovingly into deep, brown eyes. "So you were serious about making out for the rest of the night?" Maura whispered softly.

Jane nodded and kissed the corner of Maura's mouth. "Of course I was. But first I'd like to know what was bothering you."

"It's nothing," Maura replied in a soft whisper.

"C'mon, Maur. You weren't acting like yourself when I showered Lizzie."

Maura sighed and caressed Jane's cheek, tracing her sharp cheekbone with her thumb. "I had some doubts. But you and Lizzie put those doubt at ease. I'm fine."

"You should never have doubts," Jane said softly. "You're perfect."

"I'm hardly perfect, Jane." Maura smiled and kissed her wife's perfect lips.

"You are to me." Jane's tone was flirty, but serious. A tone that made Maura's heart swell and her stomach tickle

"I love you, Jane." Maura whispered before capturing her wife's lips in another passionate kiss. "God, I love you so much."

_A/N I don't want to give out spoilers, but I always write quite a few chapters ahead and this lovely family is going on a summer vacation! And I'm a little stuck so I would love to hear your suggestions about things to do for the four of them. So, please let me know what you would like to read for Jane, Maura, Riley and Lizzie while at the beach on summer vacation. Thank you all so much for your kind words and love! _


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Jane sat on their bed with Lizzie in her lap, watching Maura working on Riley's hair in the bathroom while Lizzie watched cartoons on Maura's iPad. The summer dance was tonight and Riley was both excited and a little nervous. Jane wanted to forbid her to go with Josh, but Maura convinced her it was innocent and Riley was a responsible girl. There would be enough supervision at the party; teachers and parents would be chaperoning but Jane was still restless.

Lizzie slowly started calling them 'mommy', but she called them Jane and Maura most of the time. The girl was a handful, but both Jane and Maura loved the little girl with all their hearts. Every now and then, she asked about her parents and Jane had explained to her many times that they died and won't come back, but she wasn't sure the girl understood.

After the night where Maura had trouble getting Lizzie into the shower, it only took two more days for the homicide team to convict the man that killed Lizzie's parents. He was working for Lizzie's father, who owned a rather large computer company, and therefore a lot of money. Lizzie's mother worked as a secretary at the same company and was just collateral damage to the murder. The trial wasn't finished yet, but Jane was pretty sure the killer would be behind bars for the rest of his life.

"When is Josh coming to pick you up?" Jane asked, fighting not to spit out the name 'Josh'. She hated the fact that this boy she didn't know was picking her girl up and spending the night with her.

"He said he'd be here at eight." Riley replied while she took the curling iron from Maura so she could spray some more hairspray.

"Who's Josh?" Lizzie asked, lowering the iPad to look at Maura and Riley in the bathroom.

"He's a boy from my class, he's taking me to the party."

"Are you gonna give him kisses?" Lizzie giggled, putting her hands in front of her mouth after the word 'kisses'.

"No, she's not." Jane answered a little too harsh.

Maura smiled as Riley rolled her eyes and she kissed the back of her daughter's head. "It's gonna be fine," she whispered.

"Yeah, if Riley keeps her tongue in her own mouth and if that boy keeps his hands to himself, then everything is gonna be fine," Jane replied, seeing that Lizzie's attention had turned back to her cartoons.

"Ma! Why are you being so harsh about this?" Riley turned around and stood in the doorway, her eyes screaming anger. "Why do you think I can't be responsible and just have fun?"

Jane sighed and rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head as the girl had snuggled in close again. "Because, I don't like the fact that you're going out with a 16-year old guy, and I absolutely don't like the fact that you're his second choice."

Riley's angry expression turned into sadness and Jane immediately regretted sounding so harsh. She watched Maura guiding Riley to sit on the bed, close to Jane's feet while Maura's hands softly massaged the girl's shoulders.

"I know Ma, but he's like, the guy that every girl has a crush on. And he asked me," Riley said softly, her gaze wandering to her fumbling hands in her lap. "For once, I just want to be the girl that stands out."

"But honey, you don't need a boy for that," Jane replied quietly.

"In high school, you do."

Jane sighed and looked at Lizzie in her lap, enjoying the feeling of the small girl curled up in her lap, focusing intently on the cartoons on the screen of the iPad. Lizzie was much easier for Jane. She wasn't busy with boys and looking pretty, she just wanted to run around and hug and play with Jane and Maura.

"I just want you to know that you don't need the attention of a guy to be special. You're already beautiful and amazing and so special," Jane said with a sweet smile.

Riley smiled and moved a little closer to Jane, allowing her mother to wrap her arms around her, careful not to knock Lizzie off her lap. Jane pulled her daughter close and kissed the side of her head. "I love you, baby girl. I just want you to be safe."

"I'll be fine, Ma," Riley mumbled.

Jane sighed and pulled back to look at her daughter's face, seeing her piercing blue eyes that sparkled with anticipation. She cupped Riley's cheek and stroked her cheekbone with her thumb; grateful to see it wasn't sticking out as much anymore. Riley was slowly gaining weight again as she was allowed to stop taking the antibiotics and she was getting more and more beautiful with every pound she gained.

"You're way too beautiful to be walking around at a party with all those boys." Jane said with a wink before shifting back to her previous position. "They'll be lining up at the door before you know it."

"Yeah right." Riley rolled her eyes but Jane saw the tears that shimmered in them at her mother's heartfelt words.

"Yeah." Jane chuckled at a tear that trickled down Riley's cheek. "Lizzie, doesn't your sister look beautiful?" Jane asked, softly nudging the girl in her lap.

Lizzie looked up at Riley and smiled. "Yep. But only in the face 'cause you're wearing sweatypants."

Maura laughed and moved from the side of the bed, reaching her arms to pick Lizzie up. "They're called sweatpants, honey. And Riley is going to change into her dress now."

"Oh." Lizzie nodded and allowed Maura to lift her off the bed after putting down the iPad. She wrapped her small arms around Maura's neck and her legs around Maura's waist and Maura smiled as she hugged her close.

"Hmmm, I love you baby girl." Maura said softly.

"I'm not a baby." Lizzie pouted, burying her face in Maura's blonde curls.

Riley laughed and stood up from the bed after receiving a sweet kiss on her cheek from Jane. "Mom always calls us baby, Liz. You better get used to it." Riley smirked and tickled Lizzie's sides before walking out of the bedroom to get dressed.

"How about we get something to drink before bedtime?" Maura asked Lizzie after a loving kiss on the girl's head.

"Can I have cookies?"

"Yes, you can."

"Yay!" Lizzie bounced up and down in Maura's arms and Maura put the girl down, following her as she immediately ran downstairs. Jane was about to follow them but hesitated and decided to check up on Riley.

"Can I come in?" Jane asked after a soft knock on her daughter's bedroom door.

"Yeah, can you zip me up, please?" Riley offered her back to Jane as she walked into her bedroom and Jane zipped the dress.

She turned around and Jane smiled at the sight of her beautiful daughter. Her dress was bright green. It ended just above the knee and hugged her tiny figure perfectly. Riley looked a little too sexy in Jane's opinion, but she'd rather see her daughter to attend this party in a large burlap sack, so she didn't listen to her gut.

"You look gorgeous, honey." Jane smiled.

"Thanks." Riley blushed shyly and straightened her dress with her hands, looking a little uncomfortable. "Ma?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you see my scars in this?" Riley whispered. The dress was sleeveless and even though it was quite tight around her neck, it showed parts of her shoulders.

Jane gently turned her daughter around and inspected her back, concluding that there were only a few scars visible. "Just a little bit," Jane answered softly. She traced the scars with her fingers. "Right here on your shoulders. But it's barely visible."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. And I'm sure your mom has some concealer if you really want to make sure." Jane smiled and spun her daughter around to wrap her in a loving hug. "I'm sorry I'm a little harsh sometimes. I just want to protect you, that's all. I'm sorry if it comes off wrong."

Riley smiled and accepted the hug by wrapping her arms around Jane's slim waist. "It's okay, I know you don't mean bad."

"I don't. It's all out of love." Jane smiled and squeezed her daughter close, enjoying the embrace for a moment until the doorbell startled them.

"Oh my gosh." Riley pulled back and looked at the clock on the wall. "I didn't realize it was so late! I'm not ready yet!" 

"What's not ready? Your hair and makeup is done, you're dressed, and you just have to put on your shoes." Jane answered with a smile. "I'll get your mom to see about that concealer."

"Go easy on Josh, please." Riley said with a pleading look before she turned around to grab her shoes.

"I'll try my best." Jane smirked and walked downstairs, seeing Maura talking to a tall guy with shiny hair, wearing a dark pair of jeans and a neat blouse. Even his outfit wasn't worth taking their daughter out.

"Hi, I'm detective Rizzoli, Riley's mom," she said as she shook the boy's hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Josh Parker." He looked around the house, clearly impressed by the size and expensive design.

"Maur, Riley needs you upstairs," Jane said softly to her wife. Maura nodded and walked towards the stairs as Jane turned back to Josh again. "So, you're in Riley's class?"

"Yeah. Most of them at least."

"And you're 16?"

"Yeah, I did seventh grade twice."

"How come?"

Josh snapped his attention from the house towards Jane, looking surprised by the question. Normally Jane wouldn't ask it, but she felt the need to turn this boy inside out before he took her daughter to the party. Josh shrugged. "Didn't pass enough classes."

Not only did he take Riley as his second choice and wore sloppy clothes compared to her; he was also stupid enough to not make it through seventh grade. Jane didn't like him at all. "That's too bad."

"Mama, is he gonna dance with Riley?" Lizzie asked as she hopped off her chair, away from her milk and cookies.

Jane grabbed Lizzie's hand and smiled down at her. "Yes, he is, honey. Josh is going to take Riley to the summer dance at their school."

"At school?" Lizzie asked her with wide eyes. "We never dance at school!"

Josh chuckled and put his hands in his pockets. "It's just a party. It's no big deal, really."

Jane's smile fell and she looked directly in the boy's green eyes. This party was a big deal for Riley and the fact that Josh brushed it off as no big deal made Jane dislike him even more. "I hope you still plan on making sure it's a good party, even if it's 'no big deal'," Jane replied, looking stern.

"Yeah, of course." Josh smirked, a smirk that made Jane want to vomit. "There's girls in dresses and my friends. It'll be a good night."

"Well, you're taking _my _girl so I assume she's the only girl in a dress that matters," Jane said a little too harsh.

"Yeah, of course." Josh answered, not really paying attention as his gaze wandered through the living room.

Jane didn't know what Riley saw in this guy, except for the fact that he was indeed very handsome. "Yeah sure," Jane sarcastically whispered down to Lizzie's, eliciting a sweet giggle from the girl.

"Hey Josh." Riley walked into the living room, looking shy and insecure, followed by Maura who was wearing a proud smile on her face. 

"Hey," Josh greeted her with a friendly smile. "You look cute."

"Cute?" Jane asked, turning her attention towards Josh, lifting one eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah… Isn't that what guys are supposed to tell girls before they take them to a dance?" He smirked with a wink.

"If you're an ass, yeah." Jane mumbled, eliciting a warning glare from Maura.

"Okay, you guys have fun and Josh, make sure she's home by midnight. Not a minute later," Maura said strictly.

"Yeah, of course." Josh smiled and was ready to walk out the door.

Jane stopped Riley before she could follow him and wrapped one arm around her daughter as the other kept holding Lizzie's hand. "I love you honey, please take care of yourself." She pulled back and cupped Riley's cheek before slightly brushing her curled hair back. "Make sure you have your phone on you, call us when you need anything, and please don't do anything stupid."

"I won't." Riley smiled at Jane and moved to hug Maura.

"You look absolutely stunning, my baby. I love you."

"Love you too." Riley smiled and followed Josh outside. "Bye!"

"Have a good time!" Maura called after them.

"Midnight, Riley!" Jane yelled just before she could close the door.

Jane sighed and lifted Lizzie off the floor, hugging the girl close as the detective hid face in her blond curls. "I'm so glad you're happy with just cookies and milk. You can't go to parties until you're 25," Jane whispered.

Lizzie giggled and started squirming in Jane's arms, trying to get free. Jane reluctantly let the girl go and put her on the floor, feeling Maura immediately filling her now empty arms.

Jane smiled and wrapped her arms around her wife's waist, resting her cheek against Maura's head as she watched Lizzie climbing on the stool at the kitchen counter to get back to her milk.

"It's going to be fine, Jane," Maura whispered.

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

Maura pulled back and smiled at her wife, gently tucking a strand of hair behind Jane's ear. "Both."

Jane hummed and pulled Maura close, feeling the blonde's head resting in the crook of her neck as they watched Lizzie in the kitchen. "How are the cookies, Lizzie?" Maura asked with a smile.

"They're raisin!" Lizzie answered with her mouth full.

"Yes they are, and don't speak with your mouth full, please." Maura replied with a sweet smile, not moving from Jane's arms.

Lizzie turned on the stool and looked at the two women. "I like chocolate chips."

"I know, but that's quite unhealthy."

"But unhealthy taste good." Lizzie pouted.

Maura laughed and kissed the corner of Jane's lips. "That sounds awfully familiar," she smirked.

"Mama, I wanna play soccer!" Lizzie called, abruptly changing the subject.

Jane hugged Maura close and kissed the side of her wife's head. "I love it when she calls me 'mama'," she whispered with a smile. "No honey, it's time for bed."

"But I wanna play soccer!" Lizzie bounced up and down on the stool and tried to stand up, causing Jane to untangle herself from Maura to quickly walk towards the kitchen.

"Don't jump on the stool like that, you could fall." Jane wrapped her arms around Lizzie and lifted her up. "Who's gonna tuck you in tonight?"

"Both!" Lizzie jumped, looking at both Jane and Maura with a bright smile.

Maura pursed her lips and walked towards Jane and Lizzie, reaching up to place a sweet kiss on Lizzie's cheek. "Just for tonight."

An hour later, Lizzie was tucked into bed. Maura ended up reading two stories while Jane spiced the stories up with lame jokes that made Lizzie laugh so hard she claimed to almost pee her pajama pants. It didn't take long for the girl to fall asleep and Jane and Maura to head downstairs, sitting closely next to each other on the couch.

Maura sighed deeply and moved next to Jane, draping one leg over Jane's thighs, sitting in her wife's lap as she faced her. Jane, although surprised, smiled happily and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist.

Maura immediately crashed her lips against Jane's, grounding them in a deep and passionate kiss. The blonde's hands found their way towards Jane's ponytail and pulled the tie out of her hair, tangling her hands in Jane's now loose curls. She ruffled them slightly as their lips slid smoothly together, tongues roaming in each other's mouth, hands slowly wandering towards naked skin.

They simply kissed for at least fifteen minutes, something that has gotten quite rare, unfortunately. The women didn't have much time to themselves anymore and whenever there was time, they mostly jumped right to passionate sex. Jane didn't want it any other way and she loved their lives the way it was, but she missed this. Those lazy make-out sessions on the couch, endless nights of making love, that precious alone time with her wife… It had decreased dramatically. Now there were a teenager and a five year old demanding their attention and even though Jane loved those girls with everything she had, she was happy to have a night alone with Maura.

Jane broke another passionate kiss and pulled back to look at her wife, admiring the beautiful sight of her flushed cheeks, swollen lips and that loving sparkle in Maura's mesmerizing eyes. "God, you're beautiful," Jane whispered.

Maura smiled and pressed her lips back against Jane's. "So are you, Jane," she whispered into her wife's mouth.

"Would you like to go upstairs with me?" Jane whispered seductively, leaning forward to kiss Maura's neck.

Maura moaned and slowly lifted her hips, pulling Jane impossibly closer. "Lizzie is sleeping in the room next to us," she answered softly, her voice huskier than usual. "I don't feel like being quiet."

Jane didn't even think about her daughter and that _Josh _for the next two hours. Her mind was filled with her wife's beauty, their infinite love and never-ending passion. It wasn't until Maura collapsed on top of her, panting heavily after yet another amazing climax that her mind wandered off to her daughter at school, with a lot of people, but most of all accompanied by a boy Jane didn't like at all.

"God, Jane that was amazing." Maura panted into the crook of Jane's neck.

Jane didn't reply, instead her mind wandered to her the thought of her daughter in a beautiful dress, surrounded by teenage boys who were probably high on hormones. She kept telling herself that there were teachers and parents looking out for the kids, but it didn't comfort her.

"Jane," Maura said a little louder, lifting her head to look at her wife, "I extensively complimented your sexual drive and your ability to make me orgasm and you didn't reply."

Jane snapped out of her thought and smiled up at her wife. "Sorry."

"Riley is fine, my love," Maura whispered, pressing a sweet kiss on Jane's lips. "She's a smart girl and there's plenty of supervision."

"I know." Jane sighed and pulled her wife flush on top of her, moaning slightly at the close contact without clothes. "I just have a bad feeling."

Maura hummed and nuzzled closely in Jane's arms. "I know you say your 'gut' is right most of the time, but I really do think she's fine, Jane."

"Yeah, I know." Jane kissed the top of Maura's head and pulled her close. "I love you, Maur."

Jane felt Maura smiling against her as the blonde's hand lazily traced patterns on Jane's toned stomach. "I love you too, Jane."

"I feel like I say that too much, but at the same time it doesn't feel enough," Jane whispered, overwhelmed by a feeling of unconditional love.

"You're always more than enough, Jane."

"I know, but I need you to know how much I love you."

Maura lifted her head and leaned on her elbow to look directly into Jane's brown eyes. "And how much is that?" she asked, her tone sweet and teasing.

"A lot." Jane smirked. "So much it makes my heart ache in the most wonderful way. So much that I'm a better person with you by my side. So much that if I see you, my heart jumps and if there's a day that goes by without kissing you, that day's just no good."

Maura smiled and Jane saw tears shimmering in her hazel eyes. "You're getting mushy, detective."

Jane chuckled and pulled Maura down to kiss her lips. "Your fault," she murmured.

Maura smiled and was about to snuggle back into her wife's arms and tell her how much she loved her back when her phone started ringing. She sighed and sat up, reaching for her phone on the coffee table. Jane saw Riley's face lighting up from the screen and immediately felt her stomach tying in knots.

"Hi, love." Maura greeted her daughter. "Okay. No, that's no problem." She stayed silent for a while as Jane shot up next to her and grabbed Maura's hand, giving her a terrified and questioning look. "Yes, I'll make sure. I'll be there." Maura threw her phone on the couch and stood up, searching for her clothes that were thrown around the room.

"Maura, what's going on?"

Maura sighed and looked at her wife while she put on her pants. "She asked me to pick her up at twelve."

"Why? Josh isn't bringing her home?" Jane asked, a little annoyed. She grabbed her shirt from the armrest of the couch and pulled it over her head.

"Apparently not."

"Why? He promised!"

"She didn't tell me why. She just asked me if I could pick her up at school in twenty minutes."

Jane sighed and found her panties on the floor and put them on. "Is she upset?"

"She didn't sound upset. Just tired."

Jane nodded. "I knew he was no good for her," she said in a low tone. "My gut is always right."

Maura tilted her head and finished putting on her bra before pulling Jane's sweater over her head, not wanting to get back into her tight blouse. "Your 'gut' is hardly always right, Jane. But yes, I agree," she added softly. "He's no good for her."

Jane smiled and relaxed against the back of the couch, wearing only panties and a shirt, not wanting to go look for her pants. "Hey, you don't have to leave for ten minutes, why are you fuzzing around?"

Maura looked around the room and let her arms fall to her side, looking restless and a little off. "Maura," Jane said sweetly, standing up to wrap her arms around her wife's waist. "Babe."

"I'm not comfortable with this, Jane," Maura spilled. "That boy just ditched her and neglected his responsibilities!"

"Yeah, I know. And she's never seeing him again."

Maura shook her head and buried her face in the crook of Jane's neck. "He doesn't deserve our daughter."

Jane smiled at her wife's words, knowing that Maura felt exactly the same way as Jane even though she didn't exactly show it in the same way. "Does anybody though?"

"No." Maura chuckled. She pulled back and kissed her wife. They stayed silent for a long time, enjoying the embrace as Jane pulled them back down to the couch, hugging her wife close.

"Alright," Maura said after a while, "I'm going to pick up our oldest daughter and you'll stay home with our youngest?"

Jane smiled at having two daughters and realized she was the luckiest woman in the world. She smiled and kissed her wife's lips. "Sounds good to me."

_A/N Thank you so much for your replies to my question about summer vacation! It gave me some great ideas. I hope you like this chapter, and don't worry, nothing truly terrible happened to Riley. Please let me know your thoughts and feelings! _


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Maura stopped the car in front of the school and saw Riley sitting on the sidewalk, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked so small and vulnerable it broke Maura's heart. She honked shortly to get the girl's attention, causing Riley to stand up and practically run to the car.

"Hi, love." Maura said with a sweet smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear and smiled at the way her curls were flattened already. Riley's hair was so soft and naturally straight, they could use all the hair products in the world and her curls wouldn't hold up. "Are you okay?" She quickly traced her daughter with her eyes, looking for any obvious injuries or signs that indicate what happened, but she found none.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Riley nodded but Maura saw sadness and exhaustion on her face. "Can we just go home?"

"Of course." Maura started the car and drove off, trying to get home as quickly as possible. She fought to keep her thoughts and worries to herself for now, not wanting to push too far too quickly. The look on her daughter's face told Maura she didn't want to talk about it yet, and just wanted to go home and be with her own thoughts for a while.

After a short drive, Maura turned the car into the garage and turned off the engine. She looked over at her daughter in the passenger's seat and saw silent tears trickling down her cheeks. "Oh, my love," Maura whispered. She pulled the girl into her arms, leaning over the center of the car, feeling Riley silently crying in her mother's arms.

After a few minutes of silence, Maura slightly pulled back and cupped her daughter's face to place a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Let's go inside, your Ma is worried sick about you."

Riley nodded and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand before getting out of the car, following Maura inside where Jane immediately jumped them, giving Riley a crushing hug at the sight of her daughter's tears.

"What did he do?" Jane asked as she pulled back to look at the girl in her arms.

Riley shrugged. "Nothing."

"Honey, you called us to pick you up and you're crying," Jane said sweetly but determined. "What's the matter?"

"Jane." Maura glared at her wife and tilted her head, silently telling the brunette she shouldn't push. She turned her attention to her daughter and placed her hand on Riley's upper back. "Why don't you get changed into something more comfortable? Wipe your make-up, get into some pajamas and then we'll talk, okay?"

Maura was happy to see a grateful smile and gently brushed her daughter's hair back. She kissed Riley's cheek and pulled her close for a moment, wanting to make sure that Riley felt their infinite love. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

"Can I have some?" Riley asked, her expression turning to excitement.

Maura chuckled. "Yes, I think your bowels can handle a cup of hot chocolate by now."

Riley smiled and quickly headed upstairs, getting excited for the unhealthy beverage after months of eating carefully due to her appendix surgery. A few minutes later, Maura had prepared a steaming cup of hot chocolate for Jane and Riley, and a cup of hot tea for herself, not being a fan of hot chocolate.

Maura watched her daughter slowly walking into the kitchen, wearing pajama pants and a warm sweater, her face wiped clean and her hair tied up in a loose bun. She looked even more beautiful than at the beginning of that night. Maura smiled and handed Riley the cup, meanwhile placing a light kiss on the girl's cheek. "Come on, my beautiful baby."

Maura smiled and led her daughter towards the couch where Jane was waiting for them, clearly restraining herself from crushing Josh for hurting her daughter. Jane happily accepted the hot chocolate from her wife and pursed her lips, silently asking for a kiss. Maura smiled and pressed her lips against Jane's in a brief but loving kiss that said everything would be okay.

After a few moments of silence, Riley took a deep breath and pulled her knees up to her chest. "He didn't pay any attention to me," she said softly, her voice sounding weak and insecure. "I don't think he even knew I was there."

"How is that possible?" Jane asked angrily. "You're his date!"

"Apparently he didn't think about it that way," Riley answered, not turning her attention away from the warm cup in her hands. "He only paid attention to his friends. And his friends all brought dates, and those girls are all friends with each other. I ended up texting Sarah in a corner of the room 'cause I don't have many friends at school."

Maura sighed and gently grabbed a strand of loose hair to put it in the tie of Riley's bun. She knew Sarah wasn't attending the party. Riley's friend was still struggling with coming out, having difficult discussions with her parents and mostly herself; Sarah didn't want to worry about bringing a boy or a girl to the party. She was having enough trouble without the added complication of parties and high school politics.

"It wasn't until the end of the night that he finally paid attention to me." Riley continued softly. "There was this slow song coming on, and all his friends started dancing with their dates, so he went looking for me and asked me to dance."

"Please tell me you told him to buzz off," Jane whispered angrily.

"Jane." Maura tilted her head and scolded her wife.

"I didn't." Riley whispered, fresh tears leaking from her eyes as her throat closed up with anger and sadness. "I was stupid, and I felt happy that the cutest boy in school paid attention to me so I danced with him. And then the DJ asked if we wanted another slow song and everybody yelled 'yes', so he did and everywhere around us people started kissing."

Maura heard Jane releasing a slow, angry breath and closed her eyes. She wasn't nearly ready for her teenage daughter to talk about kissing people. Maura saw Riley hesitating when she looked at Jane's face, at brown eyes that screamed rage and protectiveness. Maura smoothed Riley's hair and kissed her temple. "What happened, my baby?" she whispered.

"He wanted to kiss me," Riley whispered. "And I didn't want him to." 

"Please tell me you kicked him in the balls." Jane said softly but dangerously.

"Jane," Maura said, a little louder this time. "Let her tell her story, okay?"

Jane sighed and relaxed against the back of the couch. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, resting her hand on Riley's leg and squeezing softly.

Maura looked at her daughter and could tell by the girl's face that she had closed up again. "Come here, love." Maura whispered. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her to her chest, hugging her close, hoping Riley would talk more easily if she could hide in her mother's arms, not looking directly at them.

Riley sniffled against Maura and Maura saw Jane rubbing the girl's back. "He, uhm…" Riley started again, "I tried to pull away but he grabbed my upper arms really hard. I yelled that he should let go, and that scared him 'cause there are all these teachers and people around so he let go of me. I went outside and I was crying and he followed me."

"Oh God, did he hurt you?" Maura whispered, feeling tears burning in her eyes.

"Not really. He grabbed my arm and asked me what's wrong. I said I didn't want to talk to him 'cause he hardly paid any attention to me all night."

"Good, that's a good reply." Maura said softly, feeling proud for her daughter standing up for herself.

Riley nodded against Maura's chest and took a deep, shuttering breath as Maura felt the girl shivering slightly. "He yelled that wasn't true. And that I was acting weird."

"What?!" Jane almost jumped off the couch, but Maura's hand held her in place. "He yelled at you?"

Riley lifted her head from Maura's chest to look at Jane. She nodded slowly. "But… when he said that…. his face turned into my father's face." Riley continued, her voice nothing more than a quiet whisper, "All I could see was him, as he was screaming at me. And I got so, so angry. I got so angry for how he broke me and how he hurt me all those times, and I just lost it."

"What did you do?" Jane asked, a proud sparkle showing in her eyes. Maura was quite concerned but she knew her wife would only be proud if Riley beat this boy up.

"I uhm… I kicked him in the shins, and then punched him in the stomach." Riley confessed softly, fumbling with her cup, Maura's right arm still wrapped around her shoulders.

Maura looked at her wife and saw a proud smile lighting up the brunette's face. "I taught her well." Jane said proudly, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

Maura tilted her head but smiled at her wife before turning her attention back to her daughter. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah." Riley shrugged. "He had a hard time breathing and he was real, real mad. But he only yelled at me and said 'good luck getting a ride home' and stormed back inside." She looked at Maura and showed a sad smile. "And then I called you."

Maura smiled and rubbed her daughter's back, feeling proud and a little torn. On the one hand, she didn't condone physical violence in any way, but she was glad and quite proud that her daughter stood up for herself. She was disgusted by this guy, and hated the fact that he hurt her girl, even though she knew he didn't do anything truly bad. He was too busy with his friends and that made him an idiot, but the reason Riley reacted this way had more to do with her past than with this evening. However, Riley did the right thing and Maura was happy she was able to stand her ground and take care of herself. It showed how strong she truly was, despite the abuse in her past.

"I just wanted to be the girl with the cute guy for once." Riley cried after putting her cup on the table in front of her, covering her face with her hands. "I just wanted to be that girl."

"But why, honey?" Maura asked softly. "You know you don't need a boy to be special."

"I know! But besides Sarah, I don't really have friends in school." Riley shook her head and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffling slightly. "I just wanted to be… I don't know, I wanted to feel special."

"You are special, Riley." Jane replied softly. "You don't need anyone for that. You're amazing all on your own."

"I know." Riley mumbled. "It's stupid, I know."

"It's not stupid." Jane said with a sweet smile, placing a kiss on her daughter's temple. "I get it. He's the cute boy every girl likes, and he picked you." She smiled and tilted her head. "I mean, as a second choice and then he abandoned you all night and was being an asshole…"

"Jane." Maura glared at her wife for the use of language, but she secretly agreed with her wife. She was grateful to hear her daughter chuckling slightly.

"Gosh, I was being pretty blunt, wasn't I?" Riley said with a small smile.

"Just a little." Maura agreed with a light chuckle. She moved closer towards her daughter on the couch and wrapped her arms around the girl. "But everyone's allowed to make a poor decision every now and then. I'm very proud of the way you handled yourself."

"Yeah, you did the right thing, kiddo." Jane said with a proud smile. "I'm proud of you."

Riley smiled a sweet smile and accepted a warm embrace from Jane as she tucked her feet up on the couch, resting them in Maura's lap who comfortingly rubbed her daughter's legs. Maura hummed contently and relaxed with her daughter closely next to her, feeling sorry for the girl, but mostly happy she was okay and back in her arms.

After a few moments of silence, light footsteps padded around the room and Maura looked over her shoulder to see Lizzie hurrying towards the three of them on the couch, her eyes wide in fear. "Hey, sweetheart." Maura sweetly greeted her.

"Why aren't you in the bed?" Lizzie asked.

"'Cause we had to talk to Riley for a while, baby," Jane replied as Maura opened her arms to replace Riley's legs with the little girl.

Maura pulled Lizzie into her lap and kissed the side of her head, smoothing her messy curls. "What's wrong, honey?"

Lizzie shrugged and curled up in Maura's lap, resting her head on Maura's warm chest, her thumb already back in her mouth. "It's dark in my room and I wanna sleep with you and Mama."

Maura smiled and rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head as she looked at her wife with shimmering eyes. Not only did Lizzie refer to Jane as 'mama', she called the room _her _room for the first time. Maura couldn't wait for this little sunshine to be their official daughter. They had already locked the girl in their hearts and she was sure they would never let her go again.

"So… Here we are at 1am on a Saturday night, on the couch with two sleepy babies." Jane smirked at Maura.

"I'm not a sleepy baby." Lizzie murmured without taking her thumb out of her mouth.

Maura laughed and kissed Lizzie's blonde curls as she pulled her close. "Oh, yes you are, my love." She turned her attention to Riley who was still snuggled closely into Jane's arms and reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "And so is this baby."

"C'mon," Jane said, pulling Riley up from the couch, "bedtime."

Maura followed her wife, lifting Lizzie in her arms, feeling the girl eagerly wrapping her small arms around Maura's neck, her short legs around the blonde's waist. Maura smiled and rubbed Lizzie's back, loving the way she clung to her. She carried her upstairs, towards her own bedroom.

"But it's so dark in my room." Lizzie whispered into Maura's hair.

"I have a solution for that." Maura smiled. She put Lizzie down on her bed and covered her in blankets before walking back to turn on the lights in the hallway, leaving Lizzie's bedroom door slightly open so a ray of light peaked through. She walked back to the bed and sat down on the edge, sweetly smoothing Lizzie's curls. "How's this?"

Lizzie nodded and smiled, looking exhausted and sleepy. "Better."

"Good." Maura leaned forward and pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead before looking into her sleepy light brown eyes. "Now go to sleep so you're energized for your play date with Simon tomorrow, Okay?"

Lizzie smiled in excitement. "Yeah."

"I love you, my sweet girl."

Lizzie put her thumb back in her mouth and smiled slightly. "Love you too, Mommy."

Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and dapped them quickly with the sleeve of her sweater. She kissed Lizzie's forehead one last time, tucked her in and reluctantly left the room, walking towards Riley's. In Riley's bedroom, she saw her wife and daughter wrapped up in a tight embrace, Jane rubbing Riley's back as her daughter rested her head on Jane's shoulder.

"Hello, my loves." Maura whispered, slowly approaching them. She kissed the side of Riley's head and met with clear blue eyes that screamed exhaustion. "Oh, please go to bed, my love." Maura smiled. "You look absolutely exhausted."

"Are you gonna be okay in your own bed?" Jane asked sweetly, pulling back to look at her daughter.

Riley nodded. "Yeah."

"Are you sure? You know our door is always open."

"I know." Riley smiled and wrapped her skinny arms around Jane's neck, squeezing her close for a moment. "Good night, Ma. Love you."

Maura smiled at the sight and felt Riley changing the embrace, wrapping her arms around Maura's neck in stead. "Thank you," she whispered.

"There's no need to thank me, honey." Maura replied softly, hugging her daughter close. "I love you, my baby."

"I love you too." Riley answered, smiling shyly as she pulled back. "Good night."

"Sleep well." Maura followed her wife to their own bedroom, wearing a proud and loving smile on her face.

When they finished their nightly routine, Maura curled up into Jane's side, happy to feel her wife's strong arms wrapping around her.

"I'm proud of Riley." Jane whispered. "She handled herself really well."

"Yes, she did." Maura smiled and kissed Jane's neck before resting her head back on her wife's shoulder. "Although I don't condone physical violence in any way and I think she could have handled this without it, I understand where it comes from and I'm proud of her for standing up for herself."

"I think I'm gonna have a chat with Josh' parents." Jane said softly, mostly to herself.

"Jane, I don't know if that's a good idea."

"If my kid was acting like that, I'd wanna know."

Maura sighed and knew Jane was right. It wasn't that she didn't trust Jane when it came to handling situations like this, but she was afraid of passing Riley in this. "Just think about Riley when you do, Jane," Maura whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Maura leaned lifted her head to look at her wife. "Just… Think about her. It's not about punishing this boy, it's about doing right for our girl."

Jane averted her gaze towards the ceiling and seemed to think about that for a few moments, causing Maura to fear the detective's reaction. "Yeah," Jane whispered. "Although I want to punish him…"

"I know you do." Maura answered with a sweet smile. "Me too. Believe me, I do too."

Jane snapped her attention back to her wife and showed a smug smirk. "I know. You look all sweet and cute but I know you could cut him if you allowed yourself."

Maura chuckled and leaned down to press her lips against Jane's in a sweet kiss. "And I won't hesitate to do that if he ever tries to hurt one of my girls again."

Jane smirked but Maura saw it quickly changing into a loving stare. "One of your girls, huh?"

Maura smiled and brushed Jane's messy curls back before placing a kiss on the corner of her wife's mouth. "Yes. One of my three girls."

"It feels good to have two daughters." Jane whispered. "I never expected I'd love a house full of four women, but I do."

Maura laughed and rested her head back in the crook of Jane's neck. "Lizzie is hardly a woman, Jane."

"She will be one day."

"Yes, and thankfully that won't be the case for a very long time. She's only five."

Jane smiled and sighed deeply, but Maura saw a hint of worry edged on her wife's face. She pulled back and examined the brunette's expression, concluding that something was bothering her. "Talk to me, babe," Maura whispered.

"What?"

"Something's bothering you," Maura concluded with a light shrug and a loving smile. She pressed her lips against Jane's cheekbone before looking deeply into her wife's brown eyes. "Talk to me."

"It scares me." Jane whispered, averting her gaze away from Maura.

"What does?"

"Having two kids."

Maura smiled and stroked her wife's forehead with her right hand while her left slowly caressed Jane's toned stomach underneath the covers. "It's a lot of responsibility."

"No, that's not it. I can take the responsibility."

"Then what is it?"

Jane sighed deeply and smiled a sad smile. "Remember how you said it feels like there's a part of your heart running around now that we have Riley?"

"Yes. They feel like a part of my heart, a part of me. Just like you." Maura answered truthfully. She slowly lifted Jane's shirt, loving the feel of her wife's soft skin and toned stomach. She wasn't intending on taking it further than this, and just enjoyed the feeling of the love of her life in bed with her.

"Exactly. And now with Lizzie, there's one more part of my heart running around," Jane confessed softly. "I can't handle it when any of you gets hurt, that thought scares me."

Maura smiled and pressed her lips against her wife's, grounding them in a slow and loving kiss. She broke it and looked lovingly into her wife's eyes, brushing her hair back as she kept caressing her stomach. "Doesn't the infinite love that you get back from it make up for it, though?"

Jane smiled and cupped Maura's cheek, softly tracing the blonde's cheekbone with her thumb. "Yeah," she whispered with a loving smile. "I'm completely in love with our kids."

"It scares me too, Jane," Maura replied softly. "But I'll take the fear if it means I get to love and raise two beautiful girls. I'll take the fear if it means I get to be with the love of my life."

Jane smiled and Maura saw tears shimmering in her deep, brown eyes. "That fear whenever you go out to chase a suspect, the awful doubt whether or not you're coming home in one piece… It's the same fear as whenever Riley walks out of the door and goes to school, the same fear as whenever Lizzie jumps on top of a table or even runs around the house…" Maura smiled at Jane's light chuckle.

"Lizzie's quite a roughhouse isn't she?" Jane smirked.

Maura laughed and pressed a sweet kiss on Jane's lips. "Yes, she is. It's exhausting and I hate the fear. But the endless love I feel for all three of you… That makes everything more than okay. It's worth it."

Jane smiled lovingly and wiped a single tear that had made its way down her cheek. "I know," she whispered. "I love you. So much."

"I love you more."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Mama! Can Simon and I have the other coloring book?" Lizzie asked as she jumped off her chair at the dinner table, walking towards Jane on the couch.

"But honey, you just got out a new one and Simon's parents are coming to pick him up any minute now," Jane protested, turning her attention away from her laptop screen towards her almost-official daughter. The process of adoption took a long time, but Jane knew they were close to adopting Lizzie and she couldn't wait to refer to the girl as her youngest daughter. If everything went according to plan, the adoption would be final next week.

"Yeah, but Simon needs one too. I don't wanna rip out pages." Lizzie pouted and Jane couldn't resist the look in her big brown eyes.

Jane sighed and put her laptop down on the coffee table in front of her. "Alright, I'll get it for you."

She hadn't planned on babysitting two five-year olds, but Maura had to go into work for the afternoon so Jane had to watch Lizzie and her friend from kindergarten while Riley was playing a soccer game. Usually either Jane or Maura tried to visit as many of Riley's soccer games as possible, but sometimes work just got in the way.

"Thank you!" Lizzie replied cheerfully, running back to Simon at the dinner table.

"Why do you call your mommy 'Mama'?" Simon asked curiously, tilting his head slightly.

"'Cause my other mommy's called Mommy." Lizzie replied as she went back to her coloring book.

Jane smiled at the simplicity of Lizzie's answer and walked back with the coloring book, but stopped when Simon asked another question.

"Why do you have two mommies?"

"I have three!" Lizzie showed a big smile and straightened her back.

Simon chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "You can't have three mommies."

Lizzie's smile turned into an angry glare, one that Jane secretly feared. Lizzie had quite a temper and she reminded Jane of herself at that age, and even though Jane loved the little girl with all she had, that wasn't always a good thing.

"Yes I can!" Lizzie replied harshly before counting on her fingers. "Mommy and Mama here, and my other mommy and daddy."

"That's not true." Simon crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Yeah it is!"

"Then where are your other mommy and daddy?"

"Up in the sky!"

Simon laughed. "That's impossible. Nobody can be up in the sky."

"It is not!" Lizzie spoke loudly and her face screamed anger. Jane hesitated for a moment, thinking she should intervene, but she decided to let them be for a while longer. "Mama said someone hurt my mommy and daddy and now they're up in the sky!"

"Then when are they coming back?"

This question clearly startled Lizzie and she stayed quiet for a moment before composing herself. "I don't know. They'll be back soon, you'll see!"

Jane's heart broke at the girl's words. They had tried to explain how Lizzie's parents were killed many times, and honestly, Jane thought they succeeded. She thought Lizzie accepted them as her new parents, in replacement of her biological parents but she couldn't have been more wrong. She took a deep breath and braced herself to tell Lizzie the truth.

"Lizzie, baby," Jane said softly, handing the coloring book to Simon to keep him occupied for a while. "Your mommy and daddy aren't coming back."

"Why not?" Lizzie's eyes were big and she dropped her pencil on the table, turning to look at Jane.

Jane sighed and closed her eyes as she kneeled next to the girl. "Because they died. You can't come back if you're dead."

"So… I can never see my mommy and daddy again?" Lizzie's bottom lip quivered and Jane saw tears shimmering in her light brown eyes.

Jane smiled sadly and brushed Lizzie's messy blonde curls back. "No, honey. You can't."

"Why not?" Lizzie's eyes were big and a few tears spilled onto her cheeks. She was truly in that phase where she always wanted to know _why _things did or didn't happen, and usually Maura was the one who could answer her questions rather well, but right now Jane was at loss for words.

"I don't know." Jane whispered. "But I do know that Mommy and I love you very, very much and that we're always going to take care of you."

"What about my first mommy and daddy?" Lizzie pressed on, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

Jane wiped Lizzie's tears with the palm of her hand and looked into her light brown eyes. "I'm sorry, baby. They're gone," she whispered.

Lizzie let out a silent sob and reached out her little arms for Jane, wrapping them around the brunette's neck as Jane lifted her off her chair and hugged her close. She felt Lizzie's tiny body clinging tightly to her, arms wrapped around her neck, legs wrapped around her waist as Jane comfortingly rubbed the girl's back.

"What's wrong with Lizzie?" Simon asked, looking up at them with wide eyes.

Jane smiled and ruffled Simon's hair for a second. "She's just a little sad, but it'll be okay."

"Because of me?"

"No, buddy, not because of you." Jane smiled a reassuring smile and started to explain why Lizzie was sad, but the sound of the doorbell startled her. She walked towards the front door, carrying Lizzie with her who was still crying silently.

"Hi, I'm Jane Rizzoli." Jane smiled as she opened the door, shaking the hand of a short, blond man.

"I'm Jacob, Simon's dad. I met your wife a few weeks ago." The man smiled friendly and followed Jane inside.

"Daddy!" Simon jumped off his chair and wrapped his arms around Jacob's legs.

"Hey, bud." Jacob greeted his son. "Did you have a fun time?"

"Yeah, we had hotdogs." He smiled brightly.

Jacob chuckled and turned his attention back to Jane who was still holding a crying Lizzie. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Jane smiled, still rubbing Lizzie's back. "She's just a little upset."

Jacob nodded and took Simon's hand. "Can you thank Mrs. Rizzoli, please?"

"Thanks, Lizzie's mom." Simon said with a shy but sweet smile.

"You're welcome, buddy. It was nice to have you over," Jane answered with a reassuring smile. "Lizzie will be fine, don't worry, okay?"

Simon nodded shyly and Jane felt Lizzie stirring in her arms. "Lizzie, baby can you say goodbye to Simon?"

Lizzie lifted her head from Jane's shoulder and looked down at Simon. "Bye, Simon," she said in a weak voice, lightly waving at her friend.

Jane smiled and said her polite goodbyes as she let them out, turning her attention back to the girl in her arms as she closed the front door. She kissed the side of Lizzie's head and pulled her close, feeling Lizzie's arms clinging around her neck as she buried her face in Jane's curls, still crying silently. "I want Mommy and Daddy," she cried.

Jane didn't know what to say to the girl, her heart breaking at Lizzie's tears. She sat them down on the couch and felt Lizzie curling up in her lap, tangling one hand in Jane's curls as the other lay weakly on Jane's stomach, her small legs pulled up, her head resting on Jane's chest.

"It's not fair," Lizzie mumbled through her tears.

"No, it's not." Jane whispered as she felt tears burning in her eyes.

"Why do- why does Simon have a daddy and I don't?" Lizzie hiccupped in tears.

"I don't know, baby," Jane replied quietly, wiping a tear from her cheek before wrapping her arms back around the little girl in her lap. "I don't know."

They stayed silent for a long time while Lizzie kept crying, only now feeling the grief of what happened. Jane soothingly rubbed her back, softly rocking them back and forth as she spoke silent words of love.

After half an hour, the front door opened and Maura and Riley entered the house. Maura had picked Riley up from her soccer game and was hopefully finished with work, Riley looked dirty and smeared as ever.

"Hello, my loves." Maura greeted them brightly, but her smile fell when she saw Lizzie's tears. "Oh, what's wrong, baby?"

Jane looked up at Maura and pursed her lips, asking for a kiss which Maura happily gave her. "I'll tell you later," Jane replied softly. "She's pretty shaken up, I don't think she realized what happened yet."

Maura closed her eyes and smoothed Lizzie's curls against Jane's chest. "Oh, my love," she whispered.

"Is everything alright?" Riley asked, throwing her bag on the floor as she walked towards Jane to greet her with a sweet kiss on her mother's cheek.

Jane nodded and brushed a strand of hair back that fell out of Riley's ponytail. "Yeah. How was the game?"

"Great! We won 2-1." Riley smiled proudly and grabbed her bag off the floor after a warning glare from Maura who was in the kitchen, getting her family something to drink.

"That's amazing!" Jane answered with a bright smile. "That takes you up to second place in the tournament, doesn't it?"

"Yep!"

"Congrats, baby." Jane smiled proudly and pulled Lizzie closer into her, feeling the girl's tears wetting her shirt.

"Thanks." Riley smiled and walked towards the kitchen.

"Go take a shower, please. We'll have dinner soon." Maura smiled sweetly and wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulders to press her lips against her daughter's cheek.

Riley smiled and leaned into Maura's side for a moment. "Mom, is it okay if Sarah comes over tomorrow?"

"Of course. Just make sure you finish your homework first."

Riley nodded. "What are we having for dinner?"

"I don't know yet, I'll whip up something easy."

"Mac 'n cheese?" Riley asked in excitement, showing a bright smile.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Jane smiled, looking over her shoulder at her wife and daughter in the kitchen. She watched Maura wrinkling her nose in disapproval and chuckled lightly. "How does mac 'n cheese sound, Liz?" Jane asked softly, looking down at the girl in her lap.

Lizzie looked up at Jane and wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. "Yeah!" she said softly but excitedly.

Jane smiled and pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead as she lifted her off the couch, walking towards Maura and Riley in the kitchen. "Lizzie wants mac 'n cheese too, Maur," Jane said with a sweet smile, carrying Lizzie on her hip.

"Macaroni and cheese is not only disgusting, it's probably one of the most unhealthy things to eat." Maura protested. "The only way I'm letting all of you eat macaroni is if you let me add vegetables and herbs."

"That's not mac 'n cheese, Mom." Riley said with a slight pout.

Jane smiled but one look at her wife told her that Maura truly wasn't letting them eat macaroni and cheese tonight. "I don't think it's happening, Riley." Jane said with a smile. "But I know your mom can make a good macaroni meal."

Riley pouted but nodded, allowing Maura to wrap her arm back around the girl's shoulders. "It's my responsibility to keep you babies healthy, my love," Maura said softly.

Riley smiled and kissed Maura's cheek before wiggling herself out of the embrace. "I know, Mom." She smiled and grabbed her bag to walk upstairs, heading towards the shower.

"Now, how is this baby?" Maura asked with a smile, wrapping an arm around Jane's waist to kiss Lizzie's cheek.

Lizzie sobbed and reached her arms towards Maura. The blonde gently took the girl from Jane, hugging her close as Lizzie wrapped her legs around Maura's waist. Maura smiled and rubbed Lizzie's back as the girl buried her face into the crook of Maura's neck, still crying silent tears of grief.

"Simon said something that upset her." Jane explained, taking the drink Maura had prepared for her. "She thought she had four parents, so I explained she has two."

"Oh, God," Maura whispered, closing her eyes as she rested her cheek against the side of Lizzie's head. "I thought we went through that already," she whispered, mostly to herself.

"Yeah, so did I," Jane answered with a sad smile, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "But I think it hit now."

Maura rubbed Lizzie's back and kissed her blonde curls. "Yeah, I think so too," she whispered.

Jane smiled and watched tears trickling down Lizzie's cheek as she shifted her head to relax it on Maura's shoulder, her small hand resting on the blonde's chest as her legs stayed wrapped around Maura's waist. "I wanna go to my mommy and daddy," Lizzie whispered.

"You can't, my love," Maura replied softly. "I'm sorry."

Lizzie nodded and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand before resting it back on Maura's chest. "But I wanna see them and I wanna show Daddy my new bedroom and I wanna show my mommy to meet you and Mama," she said quietly, her voice weak and laced with tears.

Maura smiled sadly and looked at Jane with shimmering eyes. "I would have loved that, my baby."

"Hey, how about we go look through your pictures?" Jane offered, suddenly thinking about the photo albums that they had brought from Lizzie's previous home. "Then you can tell Mom and me all about your mommy and daddy."

Lizzie lifted her head and looked at Jane, who was grateful to see a happy sparkle in the girl's eyes. "Yeah!" she said with a smile and a last hiccup, wiping her tears again.

Jane went looking for the albums while Maura sat Lizzie on one of the stools at the kitchen counter before handing her a glass of lemonade as she made herself a cup of tea.

Maura lifted Lizzie into her lap as they browsed through the albums together, looking at the pictures while they listened to Lizzie's enthusiastic stories and even though it broke their hearts to listen to this girl talk about her deceased parents, they felt the infinite love and protectiveness for their sweet daughter.

After a while, Riley emerged from the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt as she sat closely next to Jane, accepting a warm embrace. She watched the pictures along with her mothers and sister, smiling at Lizzie's excitement and sentiment.

"You really look like your dad," Riley noted with a sweet smile.

Lizzie nodded proudly and straightened her back, shifting in Maura's lap to look at Riley. "Yep!" She grinned. "And you look a lot like Mama."

Riley chuckled but Jane saw a flash of hurt crossing her daughter's face. "That's... not really possible… But thanks, that's a great compliment," Riley whispered with a sweet smile and a slight ruffle to Lizzie's curls.

Jane smiled and pulled Riley close, wrapping both her arms around her daughter. "I love you," Jane whispered as she placed a kiss on top of Riley's head.

"I love you too," Riley replied with a sweet smile.

Maura smiled at the sight of her wife and daughter and pulled Lizzie close for a moment before she closed the album in front of her. "Alright, who's coming to help me with dinner?" she asked after a sweet kiss on top of Lizzie's head.

"Me!" Lizzie jumped from Maura's lap and ran into the kitchen, the grief and pain long forgotten like only children could.

Maura gave her wife a loving kiss before quickly following Lizzie to the kitchen, avoiding that she'd be getting out knifes and vegetables on her own. "Lizzie sweetie, can you get me the cutting board from the cabinet?"

"Yep!" Lizzie nodded and opened the cabinet under the counter, getting out said cutting board. 

"Can I help too?" Riley asked, standing up from her seat.

"Yes, thank you." Maura smiled and handed Riley a knife. "I didn't go grocery shopping for tonight but I have these peppers and a zucchini. Can you cut these up for me?"

Jane watched her family work in the kitchen with a loving smile on her face. Maura handed Lizzie tasks that weren't important and very unnecessary, but the girl loved every minute of it. Riley simple loved cooking together with her mother, she always had and Maura immensely enjoyed everything.

"Oh," Riley looked up from cutting the vegetables, "Josh apologized to me today."

"He did, huh?" Jane asked with a smirk, knowing that she had called Josh' parents this morning.

"Yeah. I don't really think he meant it, but he apologized anyway."

Jane hummed and pursed her lips. "At least he had the decency to say something."

Riley looked at Jane, inspecting her facial expression. "Did you have something to do with that, Ma?"

Jane shrugged. "I called his parents this morning. To let them know about their son's behavior."

"Why?" Riley asked, putting down the knife on the kitchen counter.

"Because, if one of my kids was acting like that, I'd wanna know." Jane stood up and stepped towards Riley, looking into her clear blue eyes. "I was polite and civil, we had a nice conversation."

"What did they say?" Riley asked softly.

"Josh may be an idiot, but his father is a very nice man. He apologized repeatedly for his son's behavior, and he told me he'd have a conversation with Josh about it."

Riley nodded. "Okay."

"Josh' dad said Josh is going through a tough phase, but he knew that's not an excuse. He's grounded for three weeks, I think."

Riley smiled and looked back up at her mother. "Thank you," she whispered sincerely.

Jane smiled and kissed Riley's cheek as she pulled her close for a moment. "You're welcome, baby."

Dinner turned out to be incredibly delicious, mostly because of the fact it was made with so much love. After dinner, bedtime came around quickly and Jane tucked Lizzie in, slightly afraid the pain and grief would kick in again, but it didn't happen. Lizzie was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately.

Just to be sure, Jane stayed with her until she fell asleep and couldn't keep herself from watching the girl sleep peacefully but she was painfully aware of the immense grief Lizzie carried with her. It wasn't fair that a five-year old girl had to carry this grief and pain, it was unfair that she had to explain to the little, innocent girl how her parents died and won't ever come back. But then again, life had a tendency to be unfair. They adopted two girls with insane amounts of pain and grief inside their hearts, but it only made them love them even more. The motivation to help them pull through, to offer comfort and a loving home, that urge, that motivation is what made motherhood for Jane. The urge to make sure her girls were safe and happy, to make sure they were as loved as they'll ever be… That's what filled Jane's heart.

_A/N A lot of you have been requesting some drama between Jane and Maura because it seems unrealistic to be sweet and loving all the time. I agree with that, I think conflict is natural and should happen between them. However, I am terrible at writing conflict, especially between Jane and Maura. Something will come up, but I can't make it big because I'm just not good at it. I'm sorry; I hope you'll stick around anyway. I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you think! _


	17. Riley's POV-1

_A/N A few of you have been requesting a chapter where we see Riley in school and such, and I liked that idea so I tried to write it in. It's a little different that the rest of this story, I hope you like it. Let me know, and let me know if you'd like to read more chapters like this. There will be a regular chapter again tomorrow (I hope). Thank you for reading and reviewing, it means a lot to me! _

**Riley's POV**

I'm sitting in the front of the class and I don't understand a single thing of what the teacher is saying. How am I so terrible at math? Why do people get born without any understanding of math whatsoever? It doesn't seem fair to me.

I sigh deeply and try to focus on what the teacher just wrote on the whiteboard, but I didn't understand her previous calculation so there's not way I'm going to understand this one. I'm going to have to ask Mom when I come home. She always knows how to explain it in a way that I understand. My teacher doesn't. Mom takes the time and she never gives me the feeling my questions are stupid.

I still feel bad for asking her. I know she's stressed. She dissects dead bodies for a living, I can't imagine that's a fun job, but she seems to like it. However, it's a job that takes a lot of time. She works long hours, and when she comes home, she often has to finish reports and stuff. Still, she takes time to help me with my homework and I think that pretty much sums up my mom.

I look at the clock on the wall and see that the class is almost over. Crap. I didn't listen to the last of the explanation. Now I'm definitely not going to understand this subject. I need to catch up; I can't fail this class. I can't disappoint my moms. They pay for my school (which is not a cheap school), they put so much time in helping me and they are so supportive, I cannot fail.

"Riley," Sarah whispers next to me, softly punching my arm. "What's wrong, dude?"

I look up and realize I've been staring at my desk for nearly ten minutes, with quite a pained expression. I smile at my friend. "Nothing, I don't understand a single crap about this."

"You need help?" Sarah is always better at math and she's helped me a few times, but I know my friend has a lot on her mind. She's having a lot of conversations with her parents about her sexuality, and they still don't allow her to have same-sex relationships, which cause a lot of fights. I know Sarah's parents don't mean bad and just have different beliefs, but I feel bad for Sarah.

"No thanks, I'll ask my mom." I whisper back.

"Jeez, you're so lucky with a brilliant mom," Sarah smirks.

I laugh but turn my attention back to the board after a warning glare from my teacher. Sarah has no idea how lucky I am.

Finally, the bell rings and we are freed from this horror class. The day is over and my ma should be picking me up. We walk down the halls, on our way outside and I see ma's car standing by the school, she took her cop-car which means she just got back from work.

"Ms. Rizzoli, can I speak with you for a moment?" Mr. Watson, our music teacher, walks up to me, holding his probably thousand-year-old briefcase, right before we can walk outside.

"It's Rizzoli-Isles, actually," I correct him softly, but I don't think he heard me. No one is taking away the Isles-part of my last name. I'm quite proud to be the daughter of the Chief Medical Examiner of the Common-something of something.

"I'm sure you've heard about the talent show that we are organizing right before summer break?"

"Yes."

"I would like to ask you to participate," he asks me.

"Oh my gosh," Sarah squeals next to me, "you totally should! Your piano-skills are mind-blowing, Riley."

"I don't know, Mr. Watson," I say hesitantly. Just the thought of people watching me makes me sick to my stomach.

"It would be a great opportunity to gather some experience. I've heard you play; you're quite good. I think you should try it."

I sigh deeply and look at Sarah who is looking at me with wide eyes, trying to convince me with just her look. "I'll think about it."

"Please do. Bye, ladies."

"Bye, Mr. Watson." Sarah immediately jumps in front of me. "Riley! You should do it, man!"

I shrug and continue walking outside. "I don't know, Sarah. It makes me nervous just thinking about it. People will laugh at me."

"So?"

"So… I don't like it when people laugh at me! Makes me insecure."

"Ah, screw those people." Sarah turns and has to go in an opposite direction. "If you do it, you'll absolutely rock it. I'll make you banners and I'll bring my personal cheering squat."

I laugh at my friend and wave at Ma in the car. "I'll think about it."

"Yeah, yeah." Sarah laughs and pats my arm. "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Sar." I smile and wave at her grateful to have at least one good friend at school. "Take care, alright?"

She smiles back over her shoulder. "You too. I'll call you later!"

I open the car door and sit in the passenger's seat next to Ma. She greets me with a smile. "Hey, baby." She leans over and kisses my cheek before starting the car. "Did you have a good day?"

I shrug. "It was alright. Nothing special."

Ma hums and drives off towards home. I look at her and see that she's tired. Her job might me even more stressful than my mom's. Ma's job scares me a little. She chases bad guys, and bad guys hate her. It scares me to not know if she's safe. I could never live without her, and neither can my mom and Lizzie.

My ma is the strongest person I've ever met in all my life. She's not just physically strong, I mean, she can take down the biggest guys with just a twitch of her fingers, but she's mentally fierce. I'm proud to be her daughter. Even if I'll never be her biological daughter, both my moms feel like my real parents. I wish I were their biological daughter. I'd be fierce and strong like Ma and brilliant and sweet like Mom. But no, I'm the biological daughter of a drug-addicted criminal and a woman who died of cancer when I was three. Ironic, right?

"You're quiet," my Ma says as she stops in front of a red light, looking over at me. "You okay?"

I smile and nod my head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

I feel her tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and softly caressing my cheek. "Okay."

"Are you off for today?" I ask, knowing that she often has to go back to work after she picks me up.

"No, the guys are bringing in a suspect I have to interrogate in an hour or two."

"Bummer."

Ma smiles and takes off at the green light. "It's okay, I like interrogation."

"Do you get to be the bad cop?"

She looks over at me and smirks. "I'm always the bad cop."

I laugh and we stay quiet for the rest of the ride. Ma parks the car in front of the house, not wanting to put it in the garage because she has to take off soon. She opens the front door and Mom is sitting at the kitchen counter behind her laptop.

"Hello, my loves," she greets us, opening her arms for me.

I let myself fall into them and feel her pulling me close. "Hi, Mom," I say softly.

She rocks me back and forth and rubs my back, immediately feeling that I'm tired. She knows me way too well. "How was school?"

I sigh and pull back to put my backpack on the kitchen counter. "It was okay. I don't understand a single cr-…" I stop when Mom glares at me, "thing about math, though."

"Would you like me to help you?" she asks while she brushes my hair back, something she does all the time. It's a small gesture, but it makes me feel loved.

I nod slowly. "Only if you have time."

Mom waves my words away and stands up, probably to get me something to drink. "I'll make time. Do you have any other homework?"

"Yeah, biology." I sigh and pull a book out of my bag.

"If you go work on that first, I'll finish up my report here and I'll help you with math. Sound good?" Mom puts a glass of orange juice in front of me and squeezes my arm.

"It's okay if you don't have time, Mom," I say softly, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"Riley, I have time." Mom tilts her head and looks deeply into my eyes, something that still makes me insecure. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

I sigh deeply and rub my forehead as I open my book. "Okay."

After a few short minutes of silence, Lizzie comes running into the room, her pants unbuttoned. Mom stops her before she can run into the living room and go back to her cartoons. "Lizzie, zip up your pants."

"I can't! They has three buttons!"

"They _have _three buttons. And come here, I'll do it for you." Mom kneels down and fixes Lizzie's pants before wrapping her arms around my sister.

If she could, my mom would do nothing else than hug her kids, I think. Before I got here, I pushed everyone away. I denied hugs, I flinched when someone touched me and I avoided any physical contact. I still don't know how that changed so dramatically. Somehow, Mom's arms make me feel loved, Ma's arms make me feel safe and together they feel like home.

I still feel a burning fear in my chest that they might let me go one day. That they'll get tired of me and send me away. I know I'm adopted and they're legally stuck with me for, I think, the rest of their lives or at least until I'm eighteen, but I don't really know how that whole thing works and I'm still afraid they can send me away. It doesn't matter how many time they tell me they wont, I can't get rid of that fear. I'm just trying to soak in every piece of their love because it might be over one day. I'm aware that it sounds stupid, and in my mind, I know I'm being silly. But my heart feels different things than my mind is thinking. Pretty annoying.

Mom lets Lizzie go and my sister runs off towards the living room. Mom smiles at me and goes back to her work on her laptop. I think I'm still getting used to having a sister. It's still a little strange. Lizzie is great. She's a little fireball and always knows how to bring happiness into the room. When she's sad, it never takes long and she's back to cheerful before you know it. She'll be adopted next week I think, so then I'll officially be a big sister. I can tell she loves Mom and Ma and I know they love her back. My mothers carry enough love to love all the kids in the country, probably. But that's the thing, they don't. They love me and Lizzie, and each other. They saved that special love for us, and that makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

I feel my mom looking at me so I quickly turn my attention back to my biology book, even though I'm having trouble focusing. The chapter is about something with sex and I hate it. I'm learning things all my peers have learned years ago. They make jokes about inappropriate stuff that would make my mother's eyes pop out, but I don't understand the jokes anyway. I have a lot of questions and I know my mothers won't mind if I ask them, but I'm still embarrassed. Mom has asked me before and offered me to explain, but she's so doctor-like and it made me feel awkward. I'll figure it out on my own.

Before I know it, my mom closes her laptop and turns her attention to me. "Are you ready?"

I haven't read more than two sentences but I nod. There's no way to fool my mom, though. She moves to sit next to me and brushes my hair back. "What's on your mind, my love?"

I smile at her to convince her I'm okay, but you have to be better than Meryl Streep to convince my mother. She can read facial expressions like no one else and she seems to always know what's going on inside my head. But I don't even know what's going on inside my head. I'm feeling tired and a little sentimental, insecure about the question from Mr. Watson. I don't want to tell her about that. If I do, she'll convince me to do it. I don't think I'm ready to perform in front of people. I'm not self-confident and talented enough to perform; I don't even have piano lessons. I'm just going with my gut.

I decide to tell her the truth. Keeping something from her is not lying. "I don't know what's on my mind," I whisper with a sad smile. "A lot."

Mom smiles at me and reaches out her arms to wrap them around me and I happily accept it. She rubs my back and I rest my head on her shoulder as I sigh deeply. "Mom?"

"Yes, love?"

"Can… Is it…" I stumble and I don't know how to ask the question that's causing me fear. I know my parents won't get rid of me and that I'm their daughter, but somehow, I still need to hear it before I stop believing it. I sigh deeply and try to gather the courage to speak my mind. "When you adopt a kid… Is it… Can you, uhm…" I grunt and bury myself deeper into Mom's arms, frustrated at my clumsiness. I decide to just spit it out. "Is it possible for you and Ma to send me away?"

"What?" Mom tries to pull back but I don't allow her. I don't want to look at her, that makes me cry. I don't want to cry. "What do you mean by that, honey?"

"You can't send me back anymore, can you?" I whisper softly, surprised that my mother heard my quiet voice.

"No, my love. We can't. We adopted you; therefore you are our official daughter. You're legally ours." Mom strokes my hair and I feel her taking a deep shuttering breath. I can't look at her, because I'd see tears in her eyes and I hate to make my mothers cry. "And even if we could, in some kind of strange, impossible situation, we would never, ever send you anywhere. Never."

I nod against my mother and I feel stupid for feeling this insecure. Who needs this much confirmation? I try to whisper an answer, but nothing comes out of my mouth.

"I wouldn't send you anywhere in a million years, my love," Mom whispers again, pulling me so close I can barely breathe. "We'd be an absolute mess without you."

I chuckle at Mom's last words. "No you won't."

"Yes, we would!" Mom laughs and pulls away to kiss my forehead. "I love you, baby. You have no idea."

I smile and take a deep breath to try and get rid of the tears in my throat. She's right. I have no idea.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Jane, have you seen my new perfume?" Maura asked, roaming through the cabinets in the bathroom. They just came back from court where everything had been settled in order to adopt Lizzie. Lizzie was now officially their daughter, and therefore officially Elizabeth Rizzoli-Isles.

"No, I haven't. Check the medicine cabinet, maybe I put it in there," Jane replied from the closet where she was changing out of her jacket and into a loose shirt.

"Already did," Maura said, getting quite annoyed that she couldn't remember where she put her newly bought perfume.

Jane's entire family was downstairs, waiting to have dinner together and Maura and Jane were freshening up after a long day of taking their daughters out to lunch, making a quick stop at BPD, and waiting in court for hours before signing several documents for Lizzie's adoption. They chose to keep it more quiet and small this time compared to Riley's adoption. Jane's family didn't go with them to court, and joined them for dinner at the house tonight.

Constance had called to congratulate them, but unfortunately she was in London and couldn't attend. She promised to visit them soon, and even though Maura knew from experience that that promise wasn't exactly worth something, she couldn't help but look forward to introducing Lizzie to her parents. She was beyond proud of her two beautiful daughters.

"Oh! I remember, I put it in the drawer of your nightstand." Jane called from the bedroom, having changed into jeans and a dark blue shirt.

"Why would you put it there?" Maura asked, walking towards the bed.

Jane shrugged. "I don't know. It's perfume, it's a drawer, I put it in there."

Maura smiled and shook her head at her wife's argument before getting out the perfume and spraying some on her neck and wrists. She felt Jane's arms wrapping around her waist from behind, feeling wet kisses on her neck. She moaned slightly and leaned back into the embrace.

"I miss you," Jane whispered into her wife's ear.

Maura turned around in the embrace and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck to place a sweet kiss on the brunette's lips. "I miss you too, babe."

"I can't even remember the last time we had sex." Jane pouted.

Maura laughed and kissed her wife's adorable pout. "It's been a little over two weeks, Jane. I know that's a long time for us, but it's still only two weeks."

"Yeah, I can't even remember what you look like naked." Jane chuckled as she kept kissing Maura's neck.

"Oh, yes you can." Maura smirked. "Like you'll ever forget that image."

"Touché." Jane chuckled and pressed her lips against Maura's in a heated kiss.

Maura lost herself in the kiss for a few moments, but pulled herself together when she remembered Jane's family downstairs. "Jane, we should get downstairs." She smiled, panting slightly from the kiss.

"Hmmm, they'll have fun without us."

"No, Jane." Maura laughed. "We're celebrating the fact that we have two daughters. We can't miss that."

"Alright, alright." Jane smiled. "Although I kinda wish the vacation we're taking in a few weeks would be with just the two of us so we could walk around naked and have hot sex for two weeks straight."

Maura left and felt arousal tickling her stomach at her wife's passionate words. They were going to Maura's parents' beach house in Florida this summer, the same beach house they had visited last Christmas, only now with one more daughter. Lizzie was in kindergarten and her summer would start a week before than Riley's summer, but in a few weeks they'd all be enjoying some quiet family time on the beach together and Maura was looking forward to it.

"As appealing as that sounds," Maura replied to her wife's offer, "there's no way I could leave our children for two weeks and I know you can't either."

Jane smiled lovingly and tucked a strand of hair behind Maura's ear, her aroused passion suddenly turning into caring love. "I know, I could never leave our babies."

Maura pressed her lips against her wife's again and hummed into the kiss. "Besides," she whispered seductively, "our bedroom is upstairs, and the girls' bedroom will be downstairs on the other side of the house."

"Oh yeah, that's true." Jane smirked. "Makes things easier, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does." Maura smiled.

In here, Lizzie's bedroom was right next to theirs so the women always had to make sure to be quiet, something that was quite difficult for both of them. They managed and wouldn't want their lives to be any other way, so neither of them minded, but it was true. Maura missed her wife too. It wasn't that they weren't intimate anymore; it was just different. Maura missed those passion-filled nights, where they didn't care if anyone heard them; they didn't care if the entire neighborhood heard them. They didn't have to be discrete or careful and Maura missed that. But on the other hand, Maura didn't want to change it for the world. She loved her daughters with everything she had and she loved her wife even more.

"We have a beautiful family," Maura whispered with a loving smile.

"Yeah." Jane replied with a sweet kiss on Maura's lips.

"Mom!" Riley yelled from downstairs. "Grandma says she needs your help with that quinoa stuff!"

"Doesn't she know how to ruin our sentimental moment?" Jane groaned with a slight smirk.

"Riley?"

"No, my Ma." Jane chuckled. "She always has known. Remember when we were having sex against the front door and she couldn't get it open because I was…"

"Yes." Maura laughed, slightly pulling away from her wife. "Because you were taking me against it, I remember." She chuckled and put the bottle of perfume back on the nightstand, she'd be putting it away properly later tonight. "And I'd love to do that again in the exact same way, but right now our family is waiting downstairs."

"Yeah, yeah." Jane smirked and followed Maura downstairs where Angela was waiting in the kitchen with a question about quinoa.

"Mommy!" Lizzie ran from the living room, almost knocking Maura over as she bumped against her mother's leg. "Uncle Frankie taught me how to kick the soccer ball in the air and I could kick it three times without dropping it!"

"That's great, honey." Maura smiled brightly and smoothed Lizzie's messy curls.

"Yeah, great." Riley rolled her eyes and playfully tickled Lizzie's side. "I did fifteen, sis!"

"Yes 'cause you're big!" Lizzie protested, trying to tickle Riley back. Riley, of course, dodged her little sister and attacked her with only more tickles, causing the two of them to end up on the floor in a fit of giggles.

Maura smiled brightly as she watched her two daughters, her heart swelling with love. Suddenly she felt Angela's warm hand resting on her upper arm. "You did great, Maura." Angela smiled warmly.

"Thanks, Angela." Maura replied with a sweet smile. She turned her attention to Jane in the living room, watching her wife engaging in a playful argument with Tommy while TJ ran away from his dad to join the playful fight between Lizzie and Riley.

"I'm proud of you. And Jane. And both your daughters." Angela chuckled and squeezed Maura's arm. "I never thought my Janie would be having two daughters and a wife, and be happy living in a house full of women." 

Maura laughed and turned her attention to her mother-in-law. "Me neither," she replied with a chuckle. "But it suits her, doesn't it?"

Angela nodded. "Yeah. She's a great mom. And a great wife too, I hope."

"The best I could ever wish for," Maura whispered with a loving smile, meeting her wife's gaze from across the room.

"Well, what can I say?" Angele turned and smiled proudly. "I raised her well."

Maura laughed and grabbed the quinoa from the counter to prepare it for dinner. "I agree," she replied with a smile. "I can only hope we'll be able to raise our girls the same way."

"Oh I think you're doing better." Angela laughed. "Riley's the sweetest kid I've ever met. And Lizzie… Well, Lizzie's gonna be a tough one sometimes, but she's great."

"Yes." Maura smiled and watched her family in the living room, seeing Lizzie curled up in Jane's lap, exhausted from playing while Riley sat on the floor and listened to a very exaggerated story from Frankie.

After a few minutes, dinner was prepared and Angela called everyone to the table. Riley walked into the kitchen and stood next to Maura who was finishing the quinoa salad. She stopped her activities for a second to kiss her daughter's cheek. "Hi, my love," she said with a sweet smile. "How does it feel to have a sister?"

Riley chuckled and looked at Frankie who was carrying Lizzie above his head while he made airplane noises, eliciting loud giggles from his niece. "Feels great," Riley answered quietly.

Maura smiled and turned to face her daughter, cupping Riley's cheek as she softly rubbed her cheekbone with her thumb. She looked absolutely gorgeous in black pants, a bright blue blouse that made her eyes stand out and her hair tied in a loose ponytail. Maura let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around her daughter, a feeling of gratefulness and bliss overwhelming her.

Riley took a deep breath but the breath hitched in her throat as Maura felt the girl stiffening in her arms. "What's wrong, love?" Maura whispered.

Riley pulled back and shook her head. "Uhm, it's uhm.. Nothing."

Maura smiled and gently brushed a few strands of loose hair back. "What's wrong, my baby?"

"Are you uhm… wearing new perfume?" Riley asked shyly.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am." Maura chuckled lightly. "Is that what's bothering you? You don't like it?"

Riley shook her head. "No, yeah I do. It just… It reminds me of something. Someone." She rubbed her forehead and groaned in frustration, hating it when she couldn't form a normal sentence. "It reminds me of my mom. My biological mom. But that's stupid 'cause I don't even know her."

Maura smiled and caressed her daughter's cheek for a second. "Olfactory memory can be quite powerful. Scent can trigger memories from a long time ago. You were only three when she died, but that's still quite a lot of memories."

Riley nodded and allowed Maura to wrap her arms back around the girl, pulling her close as she felt her daughter resting her head on her shoulder. "Would you like to go upstairs and talk in private?" Maura whispered, referring to the family who was washing up and waiting at the table.

Riley shook her head against Maura's shoulder. "No, I don't wanna ruin Lizzie's party."

"You're not. She's five; she's too young to be bothered by it. And if she is, she's old enough to understand." Maura pulled back and looked into Riley's eyes, trying to read her expression. Her eyes were dry and her expression blank.

Riley sighed and smiled at her mother. "I'm fine, really."

"If you say so," Maura tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear and sighed deeply. She told herself she'd ask about it later. "Let's have dinner."

Riley smiled and started washing up as Lizzie came towards Maura, waving her wet hands in the air. "Mommy, there's no towel."

"Oh, I've used it to clean my hands," Maura smiled down at her youngest daughter and grabbed a towel from the counter, kneeling in front of Lizzie to help her dry her hands. "Are you having fun, honey?"

Lizzie nodded, but Maura wasn't sure she fully understood what happened today. They told her they were now her official mommies and Riley her official sister, and she seemed to really like that idea.

"Did Riley have a party too?" Lizzie asked, looking into Maura's eyes with a questioning look.

Maura smiled and understood this was Lizzie's way of asking if Riley was adopted as well. "Yes, honey. She did. We went to court, just like today, and we had a party because we were then her official mommies."

"Was Riley in your belly?" Lizzie asked, looking down at Maura's flat stomach.

"No, she was not," Maura said softly. She missed that sometimes. She didn't have the experience of carrying a baby, bringing a tiny human being into this world… She wouldn't trade her daughters for anything in the world, but sometimes she wished she or Jane were the ones to carry them. "She was in someone else's belly, just like you."

"I was in my first mommy's belly." Lizzie grinned proudly and straightened her back.

"Yes, you were." Maura smiled and tucked a curl behind Lizzie's ear.

"And now you're my mommies. But I wasn't in your belly."

"That's right." Maura kissed Lizzie's forehead and saw that the family was already at the dinner table. "But we love you as if you were."

The last statement escaped Lizzie's attention as she was being called at the table by TJ, who wanted to sit next to her. Maura chuckled as Lizzie sped off towards her nephew and jumped onto the chair as Maura herself took a seat next to Jane.

"She okay?" Jane asked, looking at Lizzie at the other side of the table.

"Yes, she's fine." Maura smiled and placed her hand on Jane's leg, squeezing it softly.

"Riley too?"

Maura sighed and looked at her oldest daughter, who was sitting next to Angela, telling her grandmother something about a soccer game she played last Saturday. "I'm not sure," she whispered. "I think something's bothering her, but she says she's fine. She doesn't want to take away the attention from Lizzie."

Jane smiled sadly and turned to look at Lizzie who was bouncing in her chair as she was talking to Frankie. "I think Lizzie's getting enough attention."

Maura laughed and pressed her lips against Jane's cheek, placing a few light kisses along Jane's cheekbone. "I'll talk to her later."

"We," Jane replied softly.

"Hm?"

"We'll talk to her later. You don't always have to do stuff like that, Maur. I can talk to her as well, you know."

"I know." Maura was surprised to hear disappointment in Jane's voice. "I know, Jane. You're the best mother our daughters could ever ask for."

Jane turned back and smiled, squeezing Maura's leg under the table. "Thanks."

"I'm serious, Jane."

"I know. I'm not upset." Jane smiled and kissed Maura's lips before turning her gaze towards Angela who asking for their attention about something for dinner.

The rest of dinner went by quickly. The food was delicious and the company was lovely and Maura enjoyed every minute of it. She saw Lizzie interacting with the family and she could tell everyone loved the little girl, just like they did with Riley when she first came into their family. Maura was proud to be a part of the loud and loving Rizzoli-family.

After dinner, Angela, Riley and Maura did the dishes together while the rest of the family watched a baseball game in the living room. They said goodbye to Tommy and TJ. The little boy desperately needed to be put to bed. Lizzie was currently cheering along and talking about the baseball game like she understood what was going on, but Maura knew she had no idea. It was quite adorable.

"If I didn't know Lizzie was adopted, I'd think she was yours," Angela said with a smile as she wiped the counter top. "Splitting image of Jane."

Maura smiled brightly and agreed with her mother-in-law. Lizzie was a lot like Jane. She was bold, fierce, cheerful, and she knows what she wants. Just like Jane. "She is, isn't she?"

Angela chuckled and turned to rinse the dishcloth. "She's gonna be a handful, Maura."

"Oh, she already is." Maura laughed, her attention still focused on Lizzie who was sitting in between the adults on the couch.

"Just wait until she hits puberty," Angela replied with a chuckle. "You'll wish she was five years old again."

Maura smiled and put away a cutting board. "I'm not that eager for her to grow up, to be honest. She can stay five years old a little longer if it's up to me."

"Every age has its charms. Sixteen is gonna be a tough one, but all the others are amazing." Angela smiled at Riley who was putting away a few plates in the dishwasher.

"Oh, I don't think Riley will be causing that much trouble, Angela." Maura chuckled and stroked Riley's upper back for a moment. "She's way too sweet for that."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm not sixteen yet," Riley said with a familiar smirk. "Just wait, as soon as I turn sixteen, I won't be so sweet anymore."

Maura laughed and kissed the back of Riley's head. "I don't believe that. You're sweet at heart; your age doesn't change that. And if you do, we'll love you anyway."

"You always make it so serious," Riley laughed as she took a few glasses from Angela. "I was just kidding."

"Well, I was being serious."

Riley rolled her eyes but Maura saw her lips curling up in a sweet smile. As Angela walked back to the living room to Frankie, Jane and Lizzie, Maura turned towards he oldest daughter and looked into her eyes. "Riley, are you okay?" she asked sincerely.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. I just…" She shook her head. "Never mind."

"No, tell me, honey."

Riley took a deep breath and looked at her mother. "I suddenly remembered her when I was very little and she always smelled so nice, I always thought she smelled like flowers and spring and it's the same as you." Riley spoke softly, her voice weak but not in pain. "I remember so little of her... I don't even know if this is real."

"The memory is powerful." Maura said quietly.

Riley nodded and smiled when she looked back up at her mother. "She used to wear dresses with flowers. Not like yours, but with ruffles and stuff. She smelled like the flowers on her dresses."

Maura smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear. "She was a beautiful woman."

"Yeah. Just like you and Ma."

"Even more beautiful."

"You don't know that." Riley said with a slight chuckle.

"Yes I do!" Maura laughed and squeezed Riley's arm. "I've seen pictures. And besides, you are the most beautiful girl in the entire world, so that beauty has to come from somewhere."

Riley sighed and rolled her eyes again, a habit Maura didn't like, but she saw the grateful smile on her daughters face. "I wish I remembered more," she whispered. "But I don't. I remember so little of her."

"I know." Maura whispered, lovingly rubbing her daughter's upper arm.

"I just… I don't know, miss her?" Riley shook her head and rubbed her forehead. "I don't know if it's possible to miss someone you don't even know… Is that possible?"

"Yes," Maura answered, not even thinking about a psychological explanation for the things her daughter was feeling. She knew the explanation and knew exactly how to explain it, but she didn't want to. She didn't even feel the need to. At times like this, Doctor Maura Isles partly disappeared and her 'mommy-mode' took over.

"When you say I'm so much like Ma and act like her while I have your interests and love of pretty clothes… And when you say that Lizzie is like a splitting image of Ma…" Riley whispered. "It's… I know that's not possible."

"Your DNA is a part of you, but the way you are raised does so much more, honey," Maura replied in a sweet tone. "It's possible to be like us. Nurture outranks nature sometimes."

"Yeah, but I'll always be someone else's daughter."

"No." Maura answered sternly. "You'll never be someone else's daughter. You're _our_ daughter and you'll always will be."

Riley stiffened and her expression turned hard. "No, I'll always be my biological parents' daughter. I'll always be my mom's daughter. You can't just erase her."

Maura sighed and felt tears burning in her eyes, immediately regretting her words. "I know, my baby," Maura whispered. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that we love you like you're our own, like you were born into our family. I never want to erase your biological family, that's not our job."

"You can erase my father though." Riley said with a sad chuckle and Maura was grateful to see her relaxing again.

"That I would do in a heartbeat, if I could." Maura laughed and wrapped her arms around her oldest daughter, pulling her close as she rested her chin on top of the girl's head that rested on her chest. "I love you so much, baby girl. So, so much." She felt her throat closing up with tears at her own heartfelt words. "Even though I wish you were our biological daughter and I could have carried you and see you grow up… I'm indescribably happy to have you in our lives and the fact that I can call you our daughter… That makes me so, so proud."

Maura looked down at her daughter in her arms and saw a slight smile curling Riley's lips. "And now you have two," Riley replied.

"Yes, now we have two. Two beautiful, amazing, sweet and lovely daughters." Maura smiled a sentimental smile and rubbed her daughter's back. "You girls stole my heart and I don't think I'm ever getting it back."

"Nah, we're keeping it." Riley chuckled.

Maura laughed and pulled the girl impossibly closer, pouring all her love into the squeezing hug. "Please do," Maura whispered. "My heart is right where it belongs. With you, Lizzie and your Ma and nowhere else."

"And yourself." Riley added, pulling away to look at Maura, shrugging lightly. "You gotta keep a part of your heart for yourself otherwise you can't take care of it."

Maura swallowed a lump in her throat and felt tears burning in her eyes at the naïve wisdom of her daughter. "That's a very wise thing to say, my love."

"I learn from the best."

Maura laughed and lifted her head to see Jane walking into the kitchen to get another beer. "Everything alright?" she asked as she rubbed Riley's back while the girl stepped back.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, Ma, I'm fine," Riley laughed and took a deep breath. "I'm okay. How's the game?"

"Pretty boring actually. And it's a day old so we already know the outcome. But nothing beats baseball and beer, right?" Jane smirked.

Riley laughed and stood on her toes to grab a glass from the cabinet to pour herself something to drink.

"You wanna grab your sister something to drink as well?" Jane asked as she grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"Sure." Riley poured two glasses of juice and walked towards the living room, handing one glass to Lizzie.

Maura felt her wife's strong arms wrapping around her waist and she hummed when she threw her own arms around Jane's neck. Maura smiled lovingly and pulled her wife close to ground them in a deep kiss. Maura moaned softly as they broke the kiss, immediately missing her wife's taste. "You know, we shouldn't make a habit out of this." She smirked.

"Out of what?"

"Making out while the family is visiting." Maura smiled with another sweet kiss on the corner of Jane's mouth. "We should really be better company."

Jane pouted an adorable pout and looked at her wife with wide eyes. "But making out with you is my favorite thing to do. Even beats baseball and beer."

Maura laughed and captured Jane's lips in a deep kiss. She tangled her hands in Jane's curls and they kissed for a few minutes. The kiss was lazy, sloppy, loving, quiet, intimate, and everything a kiss is supposed to be and Maura felt butterflies tickling in her stomach.

When Maura noticed her hands slowly wandering under Jane's T-shirt, finding her soft skin, she broke the kiss, panting lightly. "You know I absolutely _love _making out with you, but right now I don't think I can do that without ripping off your clothes and make sweet love to you for the next three hours and that would be rather rude to the family."

Jane smirked but groaned when Maura pulled away to walk to the living room. "Three hours, huh?"

Maura looked seductively over her shoulder as she stood behind the couch where her two daughters were watching TV. "You know I can do it."

_A/N Thank you for reading this story and your kind reviews! This story is very close to my heart and even though it has pretty much no plot and it's all fluff and love, I love writing it. Thank you so much for all of your support! _


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Jane was standing in the doorway of what they now called the 'piano-room' as she watched her oldest daughter playing the piano while Lizzie sat next to her on the stool, watching Riley play a beautiful melody.

Maura had offered Riley piano lessons, but she didn't want any. Riley liked to improvise, to explore on her own and she taught herself songs through internet-videos. She played a lot; it was a great outlet for Riley whenever she needed some time on her own, to her thoughts or just to get away from any thoughts.

Lizzie wasn't very good at sitting still, but whenever she watched Riley playing piano, she was peaceful and focused. The only way that Lizzie sat still was when she listened to Riley's music or sitting in her mothers' lap, her favorite places in the whole world.

Jane chuckled to herself when she thought about the fact that her daughters were two of the biggest cuddlers in the world. They absolutely loved their snuggles and Lizzie rather sat in Jane or Maura's lap than on a couch or chair. Jane loved all of it. She wouldn't admit to anyone else that she secretly loved her daughters' and wife's snuggles, but she did.

She snapped out of her thoughts as Riley changed the melody to something rather complicated, causing Jane to almost gasp in surprise. She hadn't realized Riley had become this good.

Lizzie was sitting closely next to her sister, her thumb in her mouth as her head rested against Riley's upper arm, watching her fingers dancing along the keys. They didn't know Jane was watching them and the detective planned on keeping it that way for a while. They just had dinner together, with just the three of them due to the fact that Maura had to work late on an autopsy.

"You should be a _real_ pianoplayer." Lizzie said, not moving her thumb from her mouth when Riley finished the song she was playing.

Riley smiled and ruffled Lizzie's curls for a moment. "Nah, I get scared when lots of people are watching me."

"Why?" Lizzie asked, looking up at her sister.

Riley shrugged. "I don't know. Makes me insecure."

"Why?" Lizzie repeated.

"Why do you always have to ask why?" Riley chuckled.

"'Cause I want to know." Lizzie answered simply and Jane smiled to herself at the truthful answer. Lizzie wanted to know everything about everything. Not necessarily out of habit, but because she was truly interested in the entire world and the people around her. She was eager to learn and Jane loved it.

"Y'know," Riley said softly, leaning closer to her younger sister, "there's a talent show at my school, right before summer starts, and my teacher asked me to play at it."

"Really?" Lizzie asked with wide eyes, finally pulling her thumb from her mouth.

"Yeah." Riley smiled but Jane saw her smile falling as she turned back to the piano keys, softly playing a few notes. "But I don't think I'm gonna do it."

"Is it like a concert?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes, something like that."

"I wanna go!" Lizze bounced with a bright smile.

"Shh, I don't want moms to know." Riley chuckled. "Don't tell them okay? They'll convince me to do it."

"You don't want to?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't know." She whispered. "I'm afraid people will laugh at me."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm not good enough."

"You're the best pianoplayer _I_ know." Lizzie straightened her back and showed a big grin, as if that statement was the most and only important one.

"Do you even know any other 'pianoplayers'?" Riley chuckled with a slight pinch to Lizzie's side.

"No." Lizzie answered truthfully. "But that's okay 'cause you're still the best and I think you should play the concert."

"It's not really a concert. And everyone will be looking at me, and laughing at me… I don't think I'm gonna do it."

"But that's good!" Lizzie said, turning to face her sister. "Laughing is happy, so that's good," she said with a nod, explaining it as if it was rather clear.

"Yeah…" Riley clearly lost the energy to keep explaining things to her sister so she just kissed Lizzie's blonde curls and turned back to playing the piano.

Jane smiled and turned in the doorway, walking back to the dinner table to hopefully get some work done before Lizzie had to be dragged to bed. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately according to Jane, she could only get into the case for about ten minutes before her wife walked through the front door, greeting her with a loving kiss.

"Hello, gorgeous." Maura whispered as she broke the kiss.

"Hmm, hey yourself." Jane smiled. "Did you finish the autopsy?"

"Yes. Test results from the crime lab should be in soon, but I was hoping to say goodnight to the girls before they went to bed."

"They're in the piano-room."

Maura hummed and was about to turn around when Jane stopped her, gently grabbing the blonde's arm to press her lips against Maura's in a sweet kiss. "Riley told Lizzie about this talent show at her school, have you heard anything about that?"

"No, why?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't know, she was talking about participating but she said she was scared."

"Oh, that would be lovely," Maura said with a bright smile. "She should participate."

"She doesn't want us to know about it."

"Then how do you know about it?" Maura asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"'Cause I was standing in the doorway, listening to her play as she started talking to Lizzie about it."

Maura sighed and dropped her head. "Jane, you should really respect her privacy."

"I do!" Jane defended herself, surprised and startled by the disappointment in her wife's voice. "I was just listening to her play, that's all."

"Yes, but as soon as Riley started talking to Lizzie, that should've been your cue to leave, Jane."

"Why?"

"Because they deserve their privacy."

"Okay, it's not like I'm gonna ask her about it or anything," Jane said, getting a little annoyed. "I'll just let her come to us herself and if she doesn't want to, I won't ever bring it up."

Maura sighed and Jane knew she wasn't forgiven. She didn't know why this was bothering her wife so much. Maura was never one to get upset with her over little things and Jane hoped it was just due to exhaustion.

"I'm going to say hi to the girls and then tuck Lizzie into bed," Maura said with a slight smile.

"I can do that, you can relax if you want to." Jane offered, trying to be nice, but eliciting a glare from the doctor.

"I've had a very long day and I've been looking forward to my girls all day," Maura answered as she stepped back, heading towards the piano-room. "I'll do it."

Jane sighed and stroked her hand through her own curls. She knew Maura was tired and agitated and she knew she shouldn't let it bother her, but it slightly hurt anyway. After a few moments lost in thoughts, she watched Maura emerging from the piano-room, holding the hand of their youngest daughter as they walked through the kitchen.

Jane was unpleasantly surprised to see Maura walking straight past her, heading towards the stairs. "Whoa, I don't get a goodnight kiss?"

"Oh, right." Maura turned around and let Lizzie go. She smiled but Jane saw it wasn't genuine.

Jane sighed and wrapped her arms around Lizzie, pulling her in her lap for a moment. "I love you, kiddo." Jane smiled as she kissed her daughter's blonde curls. "I love you so much."

Lizzie smiled and snuggled into Jane's arms. "Love you too, Mama."

Jane pulled her close for a second before releasing her with a last kiss. "Sweet dreams, honey."

Maura hooked her arms under Lizzie's and lifted her off Jane's lap to carry the girl upstairs, not even looking at Jane.

"What's wrong, Ma?" Riley asked as she walked into the kitchen.

Jane smiled and reached her arm to pull Riley down to sweetly kiss her cheek. "Your mom's a little off tonight."

"She's probably just tired." Riley answered, sitting on the edge of the table next to Jane. "This morning when she said goodbye before I went to school, she said she had to do two autopsies today and finish five reports."

"Yeah, I know." Jane replied softly, reaching up to brush Riley's hair back.

"She probably just needs a hot bath and some sleep." Riley said with a tired smile.

"Since when did you get so wise?" Jane chuckled as she tickled Riley's side.

"Since the day I was born!" Riley answered proudly as stood up to grab her backpack from a closet in the living room.

Jane laughed and closed her laptop in front of her. "Do you need any help with your homework?"

"Uhm, I do have to finish some math problems but I don't wanna bother Mom with it…"

"You can ask her, she won't mind." Jane smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear. "She'll do anything for you."

"I know." Riley smiled, opening another book. "But I don't have math class until this Friday, so it can wait. I'll ask tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Jane nodded. "Alright. Then I'm gonna see about that hot bath you suggested." She smiled and kissed the top of Riley's head before she headed upstairs. She walked into their bedroom and turned on the hot water, filling the bath with Maura's deliciously scented bath foam before lighting a few candles and dimming the lights.

When everything was set, she walked towards Lizzie's bedroom to see Maura just kissing their daughter's forehead and turning off the lights as she exited the room.

"Maur, can you come with me for a sec?" Jane asked carefully, knowing that even the wrong tone in her voice could set her wife off right now.

"What is it?"

"Just come." Jane smiled sweetly and gently took her wife's hand to lead her towards the bathroom.

Maura gasped at the sight of the romantically lit bathroom, a nice hot bath waiting for her. "Jane…"

"No, listen, I don't know what's going on exactly, but I know you're tired and Riley actually suggested a hot bath so I thought that was a good idea and you deserve some alone-time." Jane's rambles were cut off when Maura's lips pressed against her own.

"Thank you, Jane," Maura whispered. "This is lovely."

"You're welcome."

"Why don't you get in and I'll join you later? I want to give Riley a quick hug."

"No, this is for you, Maur." Jane protested. "Just relax."

"I want you there, Jane." Maura answered quietly, cupping Jane's cheek.

Jane looked into her wife's hazel eyes and saw a few lines she hadn't seen before. She saw exhaustion and a kind of maturity that looked quite unfamiliar, but it only made the blonde more beautiful. "Are you sure?"

"A hot bath is so much better with a gorgeous naked lady in it." Maura smirked.

Jane chuckled and nodded. "Can't argue with that."

Maura gave Jane a quick kiss and turned around to walk downstairs. "Don't be too long okay?" Jane called after her, pulling her shirt over her head. "I know your hugs with Riley, those usually last hours."

"I'll try my best." Maura called back, already at the top of the stairs.

Jane took off her clothes and lowered herself in the tub, humming contently at the feeling of the hot water relaxing her tensed muscles. She closed her eyes and waited for her wife to join her, but it took too long. She waited in anticipation but when the water was getting cold and Maura still hadn't showed up, she sighed a disappointing sigh and got out of the tub, drying herself off and getting into her sweats.

She decided to leave her work for what it was and got into bed, a feeling of sadness and disappointment overwhelming her. She truly didn't know what she did wrong and assumed Maura got caught up in whatever she was doing with Riley.

After a long time, Jane finally drifted off into a restless sleep and only woke up when she felt her wife's arms wrapping around her waist from behind, Maura's cheek resting on her upper back. Jane stiffened as Maura's hands lifted her shirt and caressed her stomach, causing the blonde to lift her head.

"Jane?" Maura whispered.

"Yeah."

"Can you turn around and look at me, please?"

Jane didn't move and pulled the blankets tighter around her. "Jane," Maura whispered, her voice sounding pained and fragile.

"You said you wanted me there." Jane whispered.

"I know. Riley needed help with math."

"Yeah, for a class she doesn't have until Friday."

"It's good to be prepared, Jane."

The lecturing tone in her wife's voice hurt Jane and she turned on her back before sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Please don't talk to me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're so much smarter than me and know what's best for our kids."

"Jane, I-…"

"Yeah, you don't mean it like that, I know." Jane replied, rubbing her forehead. She felt a sting of hurt in her chest and felt tears burning in her eyes. "Can I ask you something?" she whispered.

"Anything." Maura replied, eager to make things better.

Jane took a deep breath and gathered the courage to ask the question that's been bothering her for a while. "Are the girls more important to you than I am?"

"You are all equally important to me, what do you mean, Jane?"

"I mean…" Jane sighed and turned to look at the blonde, seeing the shock on her wife's face when she saw the tears in Jane's eyes. "You know when I tell you I miss you and I want to have sex with you and stuff like that?"

Maura nodded. "Yes. I feel that too, Jane."

"No." Jane shook her head and felt a tear trickling down her cheek. "It always ends up with playful kisses and sex but I mean it, Maura."

"I know you do."

"I don't know if you do, Maur." Jane said, her tears now uncontrollably falling down her cheeks. "I miss you as my wife. I love you as a mother and I love you as a person, I love you more than anything but I miss you as my wife."

"Jane-,"

"No, I love that the first thing you do when we get home is hug the girls and tell them how much you love them, but I feel… I feel…" Jane choked on her tears and hid her face in her hands, embarrassed at the feeling of losing control.

"What do you feel, my love?" Maura whispered, hesitant to seek physical contact.

Jane turned her head towards her wife and needlessly wiped a few tears. "I feel like I'm not enough anymore. Like you don't need me."

"Oh, babe you are more than enough." Maura whispered, reaching out to smooth Jane's curls but Jane leaned back, avoiding her touch.

"Usually, you wouldn't waste more than a few minutes if you knew I was waiting for you in the tub." Jane said, her voice strangled with tears. "And now… Every time we have sex, it's quick and silent and I just…"

"You feel like you're not pleasing me," Maura whispered barely audible.

Jane hated it, but it was true. She slowly nodded. "Not just… y'know, sexually… But just in general. I know the girls are the most important thing in our lives and I feel the same way and I love you for that, but sometimes I feel…" Jane sighed and stayed silent, not wanting to end the sentence that she was sure would hurt her wife.

"Tell me, Jane." Maura whispered, her voice laced with tears.

Jane shook her head and stayed silent. "Jane, whatever you feel can't be worse than leaving me in the unknown."

Jane sighed deeply. "I feel like the girls are enough for you. Like you don't need me like you used to need me," Jane whispered after swallowing a lump in her throat. "And I still need you so desperately... I need you, Maura. And I need you to need me too."

"I do," Maura whispered, this time succeeding in caressing Jane's messy curls.

Jane turned to look at her wife and saw silent tears trickling down the doctor's cheeks. She allowed Maura to grab her hand and lace their fingers together as she looked into those big, hazel eyes. "I need you, Jane."

Jane shook her head. "I don't think you do," she whispered in a hoarse voice. "Remember when I said _we _should talk to Riley when she was upset the other day? You did it. You talked to her and made it all better. You didn't need me there. You're doing fine without me and I-… I'm afraid you… that you'll be fine without me. Maybe you just need them, and not me."

"I don't," Maura whispered in a desperate tone. "I'd be a mess without you. I'm nothing without you."

Jane nodded but she saw that Maura wasn't convinced, and neither was she herself to be honest. "What we have, our beautiful daughters… I wouldn't trade them for the world and you are right, they are the most important people in my life. But Jane, so are you." She shifted to fully face Jane and made sure to keep eye contact, looking deeply into Jane's eyes. "I love those girls with all I have. I do. But I love you more."

"It's not about who you love more, Maura," Jane whispered.

"I know." Maura replied softly. "I'm just trying to find a way to convince you of how important you are to me and how desperately I need you too. I could never do this without you. I could never raise those girls by myself and there is no way they are enough for me." She lifted her hand to cup Jane's chin, lifting her head so she could press her lips against her wife's.

Jane was hesitant at first, but when she felt the love that was poured into the kiss, she accepted it and allowed herself to get lost in her wife's taste for a moment. She broke it when she felt Maura's tears wetting her cheeks, making the kiss sloppy and wet, interrupted by a silent sob.

"I need you, Jane." Maura cried. "I don't know how to tell you, but I need you like I need air. I could never live without you, never!" She cupped Jane's cheek and wiped a tear that trickled down. "I'm just very tired, and in need of vacation and I'm so sorry if I make you feel unwanted or unloved because that is the opposite of what I feel for you."

Jane nodded. "I know," she whispered quietly, startled by her wife's cries.

"I know things are different now." Maura continued. "I know we can't make love the way we used to and I know we don't talk as much as we used to…"

"It's okay, Maur."

Maura shook her head. "I know it is and I know you wouldn't want to change what we have for anything, and neither do I. But you have to know that even though things are different," Maura's voice had turned into a loving but pained whisper and her tears didn't stop falling, "my love for you hasn't changed. In fact, it only grew stronger."

"Maura-,"

"I fall more and more in love with you every single day, Jane, and I'm sorry if I don't show it enough. I'm sorry we don't have as much time together as we'd like to and I'm so sorry I ever made you feel like you're not enough." Maura kissed a tear that made its way down Jane's cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. "Because you are more than enough, my love. You are so much more, so much more than I could ever wish for. I've never loved anyone like I love you."

"I love you too," Jane tried to whisper, but the words didn't even come out of her throat.

"You're everything to me, Jane." Maura continued, determined to make her wife feel as loved as possible. "Without you… Life just doesn't make sense." Maura raised her shoulder and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Without you, we would be so, so lost. Riley, Lizzie and me… We all need you so badly. We'd be absolutely lost without you. All of us."

Jane wanted to speak and return those heartfelt words of love, but she failed. She only managed a small nod before wrapping her arms around Maura's waist, burying her head in her wife's perfect curls, inhaling the delicious scent of her faded perfume and shampoo.

Maura slowly rubbed her wife's back before making her way under Jane's tank top, resting her hands on Jane's bare back. "You are so strong, Jane," Maura whispered into Jane's ear. "So strong, but at the same time so endlessly sweet and caring. You would do _anything_ for the people you love, and that makes you such a beautiful person. You're the best mother our daughters could ever ask for and a better wife than I could have ever imagined."

Jane couldn't stop her tears from falling and clutched to her wife, relishing in the comfort of Maura's soft yet strong arms, along with the sound of her heartbeat and loving whispers. "I love you more than life itself," Maura whispered. "And that's not just a figure of speech. I'd gladly take a bullet for you, Jane Rizzoli. That's how desperately I need you, how undying and infinite my love is for you."

"I thought taking bullets was my job." Jane mumbled into the crook of Maura's neck, eliciting a sweet laugh from her wife.

"I never liked those standard roles." Maura smiled as she cupped Jane's cheeks to make eye contact. "I mean it."

"I know," Jane whispered with a sweet smile. "I love you too, Maura."

"I know." Maura repeated softly.

"That's all I got." Jane raised her left shoulder and tilted her head, giving her wife an apologetic look. "I love you. I love you with all my heart and everything I have."

Maura nodded. "That's enough. That's all I need." She wiped a tear from her cheek before pressing her lips against her wife's in a sweet and loving kiss, the kind of kiss that said 'I'm here and I'm never letting you go', the kind of kiss that grounded them in their familiar foundation of infinite love. Somehow they ended up lying back down on the bed and making out for at least fifteen more minutes, with no intentions of taking it further. Just kissing was enough to let them feel everything was still okay. It might not be the same, but everything was still more than okay.

After a while, the women reluctantly ended their make-out session, both feeling exhausted and spent. Jane rested her head on Maura's chest as her arms were securely wrapped around the blonde's waist, Maura's arms loosely around Jane's tired form.

"Jane… How do you feel about going away for a few days?" Maura whispered.

"What do you mean?" Jane replied, not opening her eyes.

"Book a nice hotel for next weekend? We're both off duty, we could take some days for just the two of us?"

"What about the girls?"

"I'm sure your mother would love to have them over for a few days."

Jane lifted her head from Maura's chest and looked lovingly into her eyes, barely making out her beautiful facial features in the dark. "That's a great idea, Maur."

"I know." Maura smirked proudly, pulling Jane down to kiss her lips again. "And we could be naked all weekend, make love _all day long_…"

"Cry about how we miss the kids at night." Jane smiled; knowing that being away from their daughters wasn't easy for either of them.

"Sounds like fun." Maura chuckled, pulling Jane back down to her chest. "You'll tell me if you don't want this, right?"

"Yeah, I do. It sounds wonderful." Jane smiled and pulled her wife close, her cheek resting on Maura's freckled chest as she listened to the steady sound of the blonde's heartbeat, the only sound she needed in her life. "I can't wait."

And like that, the soothing sound of her wife's heartbeat along with the feeling of Maura's soft arms wrapped around her, a feeling of bliss and love overwhelmed the detective and she slowly drifted off into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Oh, I missed you, my beautiful girls." Maura said with a happy smile as she hugged Riley tight, feeling the girl's arms wrapping around her waist as she pulled her close.

Jane was covering Lizzie in kisses as she carried her on her hip, eliciting sweet giggles from the girl. It was Sunday night and the women just got back from what turned out to be one of the best weekends of Maura's life. They booked a nice but not too fancy hotel just outside of Boston and didn't leave the room for the three days they stayed there, making passionate love all day long, talking about everything and nothing, never leaving each other's arms.

It had only been three days, but the feeling of her daughters back in her arms made Maura realize how much she had missed them. The romantic getaway was very much needed, it made their love grow stronger, and coming home to their daughters only made it even more perfect.

"Riley, I wanna hug Mommy now!" Lizzie patted Maura's hip, looking up at her sister with an impatient smile.

"Hmmm, maybe I'm not done hugging Riley, sweetheart," Maura teased the girl.

"You hugged Riley for so long! My turn now!"

Jane laughed and stepped towards Maura and Riley. "And it's my turn to hug Riley, Maur."

Maura smiled and kissed Riley's cheek before letting Jane wrap her arms around her as she leaned down to lift Lizzie off the floor, feeling the girl's arms wrapping around her neck, legs wrapping around the blonde's waist as she always did. Maura smiled and rubbed Lizzie's back.

"I missed you, Mommy," Lizzie said into the crook of Maura's neck.

"I've missed you too, my love," Maura answered softly. "Did you have a good time with grandma?"

"Yeah." Lizzie nodded and relaxed in her mother's arms. "We baked cookies with chocolate chips." She giggled.

Maura gasped playfully and pulled back to look at her youngest daughter. "You did not!"

Lizzie covered her mouth and giggled harder. "Yep!"

"Did they taste good?"

"Really good!"

"I'm glad." Maura pulled the girl back to their original position as she kissed the side of her head. "I love you so much, my baby."

"Love you too, Mommy."

After a few more hugs and kisses, Maura shifted Lizzie to her hip and turned towards Angela who was making them some coffee in the kitchen. She gave her mother-in-law a quick hug with one arm and smiled at her. "Did everything go alright?"

"Perfect," Angela replied with a smile and a slight ruffle to Lizzie's curls. "These two are a delight to have around."

"Thank you Angela," Maura said, smiling when Lizzie rested her head on her shoulder, her thumb in her mouth as she relaxed in her mother's arms. "For taking them."

"No need to thank me." Angela shook her head. She looked at Lizzie and chuckled at the way she sat curled up on Maura's hip, her eyelids getting heavy in exhaustion. "I think our activities wore them out pretty well."

Maura laughed and kissed the top of Lizzie's head. "Yes, I think so too." She turned to watch Jane breaking the embrace with Riley to kiss the girl's forehead before making her way to the kitchen, giving her mother a quick hug.

"Thanks, Ma," Jane said softly. "We really needed this."

Angela nodded. "I can tell. You both look refreshed and newly energized."

Jane smiled brightly and looked at her wife with a knowing look, referring to their excessive lovemaking from the past few days. Maura blushed and buried her face into Lizzie's curls on her shoulder, trying to cover up her smirk.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Maura asked politely after a short silence.

"No thanks, honey." Angela smiled. "I'll head home to get to bed, your girls are quite a handful."

Jane laughed and kissed Riley's temple as she sat down at the kitchen counter. "Yes, they are."

After they said their goodbyes and extensively thanked Angela for taking care of their children, Maura and Jane moved to the couch, Lizzie immediately climbing onto Jane's lap.

"What do you think you're doing?" Maura asked when she saw Riley sitting down in one of the big armchairs. "I've had three days without your snuggles, get back here."

Riley chuckled and stood back up to sit next to Maura, allowing her mother to wrap her arms around her as she leaned into Maura's side. "I think you had plenty of snuggles this weekend, Mom."

Maura hummed and kissed the top of Riley's head. "Yes, but your snuggles are very different and I've missed them terribly."

"No you didn't." Riley whispered with a smile, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Yes, I did. What makes you think I didn't?"

Riley shrugged. "Nothing."

Maura smiled and kissed the top of Riley's head before gently smoothing her daughter's straight brown hair. "When I have a long day at work or when you have school and soccer practice and don't come home until the early evening, I'm always looking forward to having you back in my arms again," Maura whispered, not audible for Jane and Lizzie who were chatting happily about Lizzie's days with Angela.

"Really?" Riley replied softly with a slight chuckle.

Maura hummed and pulled her daughter close. "Yes. I _love _having you in my arms and I'm so happy we adopted two great girls who love cuddles as well."

Riley giggled and tucked her feet up on the couch, curling further into Maura's side. "Sometimes I just forget that we're adopted," Riley whispered. "Especially Lizzie. It feels like she was born here."

"It feels the same with you, baby," Maura replied with a sweet smile. "Like both you girls belong here."

"I think we do." Riley smiled and shifted to look at Lizzie who just finished her story and snuggled back into Jane's arms.

Jane looked at Maura and Maura saw a loving smile curling her wife's perfect lips. "Don't we have cuddly kids, huh?" Jane smirked.

Maura laughed and kissed Riley's head before pulling her back into her arms. "Yes we do."

An hour and half later, Lizzie was freshly showered and ready to be tucked into bed while Jane and Riley were downstairs catching up on some quality time, which probably involved playing cards and playful wrestling. Lizzie was running around her room, suddenly a bolt of energy.

"Lizzie, baby," Maura said sternly, "come here, you have to go to bed."

"I'm not tired!" Lizzie called out, running a few steps to the other side of her bedroom.

"Oh, yes you are." Maura laughed as she sat down on Lizzie's bed, pulling back the covers for her. "You have school tomorrow and it's already way past your bedtime. Come here."

Lizzie let her shoulders fall and pouted at Maura's strict tone. She slowly walked towards the bed and slid under the covers. Just when she was about to lay down, she shot back up and looked at Maura with wide eyes.

"What's the matter, honey?"

"I left Stevie at Grandma's!"

Maura sighed and closed her eyes, knowing that Lizzie rarely slept without her stuffed animal, a plush duck that she had named Stevie. "I'm sorry baby, you'll have to sleep without it tonight. We'll pick it up at Grandma's tomorrow."

"But I want to sleep with Stevie…" Lizzie said softly as her bottom lip quivered.

"I know sweetie, but Stevie's spending the night at Grandma's." Maura said sweetly, trying to comfort her almost crying daughter. "You have plenty of other stuffed animals in here. What about this one? It's a giraffe!"

"That's not Stevie." Lizzie pouted and wiped a tear with the back of her hand.

The genuine sadness of her daughter startled Maura, and told her that this was about more than just a stuffed animal. Maura gently smoothed her daughter's unruly curls and looked sweetly into her light brown eyes. "I know, my love."

Lizzie let out a tiny sob and climbed into Maura's lap, snuggling in her mother's arms as they wrapped tightly around her. "I had Stevie for my birthday," Lizzie said, her voice sounding tiny and vulnerable.

Maura sighed and already felt where this was going. "Who gave it to you?" she whispered after a sweet kiss on Lizzie's head.

"Daddy."

"Oh, my love." Maura pulled the little girl close and gently rocked them back and forth. "You truly miss your daddy, don't you?"

Lizzie nodded against Maura's chest and nuzzled closer into her mother's arms, seeking comfort and motherly love. "And mommy too."

"I know, my baby," Maura whispered. "I wish I could bring them back, I really do."

Lizzie chuckled and put her thumb in her mouth, not moving her head from Maura's chest. "Then you wouldn't be my mommy."

"That's true, that's very smart of you," Maura replied with a loving smile. She wiped her daughter's wet cheeks and kissed the girl's forehead. "But your happiness is more important than mine," she whispered, mostly to herself. "I would give you everything in the world if I could."

Lizzie didn't really hear her mother's heartfelt words and just sucked on her thumb while silent tears trickled down her cheeks, still sitting curled up in Maura's lap. Maura felt her daughter's exhaustion and sighed deeply, pulling Lizzie close before gently lifting her up so she could move the blankets further away. She kicked off her shoes and slid underneath the covers, bringing Lizzie with her in her arms. She felt the girl curling up into her side, her head never moving from Maura's chest.

"Mommy?" Lizzie whispered weakly.

"Yes, my love?"

"Are you always gonna be my mommy?"

"Yes, I am," Maura whispered, slightly startled by the question. "Is that okay?"

Lizzie nodded and snuggled impossibly closer into Maura's arms, already getting sleepy. "Yeah," she answered quietly. "You're good mommies."

Maura laughed and felt tears burning in her eyes at her daughter's innocent but heartfelt words. "Thank you, honey. Now go to sleep, my love." Maura whispered after kissing her daughter's head. "I'm here."

It didn't take long for Lizzie to fall asleep, safely wrapped in motherly arms that wouldn't let her go, not until Maura was absolutely sure Lizzie was fully asleep. That was the case after a little over an hour, but Maura still didn't move. She enjoyed the feeling of her youngest daughter in her arms, the sound of her steady breathing, the girl's breath trickling her chest every time she exhaled.

"Mom?" Riley's head peaked through the door, her eyes searching for her mother in the dark.

"Yes, I'm here." Maura lifted her head to look at her oldest daughter.

"Oh, I was just gonna say goodnight, never mind." Riley smiled at the sight of her sleeping sister curled up in Maura's arms and was about to leave the room when Maura stopped her.

"Hold on, let me get up." Maura carefully and slowly lifted Lizzie's arms off her and untangled herself from her daughter before standing up from the bed, walking towards Riley who was standing in the hallway now. "You're not going to bed without a goodnight kiss." Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around the teenager, pulling her close after kissing Riley's cheek.

Riley happily accepted the embrace by wrapping her arms around Maura's waist, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. Maura slowly rubbed her daughter's back and sighed deeply. "I'm so happy to feel flesh on your bones again." She smiled.

"What?"

"I'm glad I'm not feeling your bones sticking out under your skin anymore." She pulled back to look at Riley and lovingly brushed her hazelnut hair back. "You're beautiful, my baby."

Riley blushed and leaned forward, hiding her face into Maura's shoulder, eliciting a sweet laugh from the blonde. "I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Mom."

Maura pulled Riley close for a moment before letting her go and kissing her forehead. "Go to bed, my love," she said with a smile. "Your Ma has kept you up way too late again."

Riley laughed. "Yeah, but I kicked her ass again."

"Watch your language, please." Maura glared at her daughter before tucking a strand of hair behind Riley's ear.

Riley nodded. "Right. Sorry. I just beat her at the game so she wanted to keep on playing to try and beat me."

"I'm sure she was unsuccessful."

"Of course."

Maura laughed and placed a last sweet kiss on her daughter's cheek before patting her arm, guiding her towards her bedroom. "Go to bed."

"Good night, Mom." Riley smiled over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway.

"Good night, my love." Maura watched her daughter closing her bedroom door before walking towards her bedroom to change into Jane's sweatpants and a sweater. After tying her hair into a loose ponytail, she walked back downstairs towards her wife who was waiting on the couch where she was catching up on her e-mail.

"That took you a long time." Jane said as Maura sat down next to her.

"Hmm, Lizzie was quite upset," Maura replied. "Why must you always check on work right when you get back?"

"'Cause I wanna be up to date when I get back tomorrow." Jane shrugged before sweetly kissing Maura's lips. "What was the matter with Liz?"

"She left Stevie at your mom's. It made her rather upset, and it turned out to be a birthday gift from her father." Maura sighed at the memory of her daughter's painful tears. "I held her until she cried herself to sleep."

"Why didn't you call me?" Jane asked, her tone slightly disappointed.

"Because you were downstairs with Riley," Maura answered, knowing Jane didn't like to be left out. "I thought she needed some time with you."

Jane smiled slightly and Maura saw that she wasn't upset. "She kinda did."

"Poor Lizzie, though." Jane closed her laptop and put in on the coffee table in front of her to snuggle into her wife's side, wrapping her arms around Maura's waist as she guided Maura's head to rest on her shoulder. "Do you think she needs professional help? To process everything like she's supposed to and stuff?"

"I think she's fine for now," Maura answered, smiling at her wife's need for affection. "She gets extra attention in school, and she's quite open towards both of us."

"Okay," Jane whispered, relying on Maura's opinion on this subject. "Breaks my heart to know the pain she's going through. She's so young…"

"I know," Maura answered, her voice nothing more than a quiet whisper. "It's not fair. I wish I could bring them back."

"Her parents?"

Maura hummed and nuzzled her head in the crook of Jane's neck, absentmindedly stroking her wife's arms that were wrapped around her. Jane sighed and kissed Maura's head. "Y'know, if that were possible it would mean she won't be with us anymore, right?"

"Her happiness is more important than mine," Maura repeated truthfully. "I'd do anything for those girls. I'd do anything to make them happy, even if that means they won't be with us anymore."

"Maura…"

"Fortunately, that's not the case." Maura smiled and lifted her head to look at the beauty that had her arms wrapped around her. "Because I like to believe that we are making them happy."

"We are," Jane whispered huskily.

Maura smiled and leaned in for another kiss, moaning slightly as it deepened. "God, I just made love to you for three days straight and I still can't get enough of you." Maura whispered with a seductive smile.

"We did a little more than that, Maur." Jane smirked. "I mean, we had dinner, we had… lunch… And we…" She stayed silent and raised her eyebrows in thought. "Okay, I got nothing." She chuckled. "Yeah, we mostly just had sex."

Maura laughed and moved to straddle her wife's lap, tangling her hands in Jane's messy curls. "We talked. A lot. And we truly needed that, too," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know." Jane smiled and rubbed Maura's back, slowly moving her hands along her wife's sides and back up between her shoulder blades. "But I have to admit, I did miss the girls."

"Of course you did." Maura smiled and kissed the corner of Jane's mouth. "I did too."

Jane hummed and pulled her wife closer. "Those damn beautiful girls of ours."

"Language, Jane," Maura managed to get out before Jane's lips were back on hers.

They kissed for several minutes, enjoying the familiar taste of each other, the fact that they were back home with their kids, relishing in their unconditional love. Unconditional; no matter what happened, Maura would always love Jane. No matter how much they argued and disagreed, they'd love each other forever and always and they both knew it. They didn't need to say it.

Suddenly their passionate kiss got interrupted by a string of heartbreaking cries coming from upstairs. "Mommy!"

"That's Lizzie." Maura immediately got off Jane's lap and hurried upstairs, her wife following closely. She entered Lizzie's bedroom and saw the girl sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes as tears streamed down her face.

"Oh, my baby," Maura said softly as she quickly walked towards the bed to gather the girl in her arms. "What's wrong, my love?"

"You- you-…" Lizzie hiccupped and buried her face in Maura's chest. "You leaved!"

"_Left_ honey," Maura corrected her daughter, but pulled the girl close when she saw the fear in her light brown eyes. "I'm sorry," Maura whispered, knowing the girl had woken up in panic, feeling an empty bed while she fell asleep in her mother's arms. "I'm here, honey."

Lizzie nodded and Maura saw the girl's eyes already closing again. She wanted the girls to feel safe in their own bed and not need their mothers every night, but Maura couldn't resist staying with the aching girl. She gently brought her down to lie on the bed, securely wrapped in her arms.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Jane asked, standing in the middle of the room, looking down at the two of them.

"Yes, but I think I'll stay with her tonight," Maura whispered, feeling her daughter already drifting back to sleep, "I'm sorry, Jane."

"It's okay," Jane whispered with a smile as she walked over to the bed to place a sweet kiss on Maura's lips and then on top of Lizzie's head. "Her happiness is more important than mine."


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_Jane woke up from a restless sleep and reached out next to her; surprised to feel the bed was cold. She sat up and immediately felt that something was off. She didn't know what exactly made her feel it, but her cop-gut told her that something was very wrong. _

_She stood up from the bed and grabbed her gun from the locked drawer in a closet on the right before checking the bathroom, finding it empty. She walked down the hallway and opened the door to Lizzie's bedroom, finding it empty as well. She felt a sense of panic burning in her chest as her breath quickened. She walked towards Lizzie's bed and felt that the sheets were cold, telling her that Lizzie hadn't been sleeping in here for a while. _

_She moved on to Riley's bedroom, finding the same situation. The bed was empty, as well as the bathroom. Jane desperately tried to keep calm as she walked downstairs to inspect the house, hoping to find her wife and children sitting on the couch drinking hot chocolate. But she couldn't have been more wrong. _

_She reached the living room and saw a trail of blood. Drops of angry, red blood leading towards the door to the garage. She followed the trail, her heart beating in her throat as she fought to keep control. _

_Jane slowly opened the door to the garage, afraid of what to find. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling immense fear taking over, as her worst nightmare seemed to come true. _

_She opened her eyes and met with a sight that broke her heart into a million pieces, causing her to let out a crippling scream and fall to her knees, dropping her gun along with it. Right there, a few feet away from her were her wife and two daughters lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She made her way towards Riley, who was closest and saw a clean, straight cut on her throat where dark red blood had already dried. She let out a strangling cry and looked for a pulse, but found none. _

_With tears streaming down her face, anger burning in her chest and crippling desperation making her muscles go weak she crawled towards the next tiny body, seeing Lizzie's blonde curls turned red from blood due to the same, clean cut on her throat. She placed her hand on her daughter's head; feeling the slick, warm blood as she lowered her head, loud sobs escaping her body. _

_She didn't want to look what was behind her. She knew. She knew if she would turn around, she would see her absolute worst fear. And yet she did it anyway. She slowly turned and immediately slumped down, violent sobs wrecking her body as she leaned over the dead form of her wife, desperately gripping onto Maura's chest, frantically looking for a heartbeat but she found none. _

_She gripped Maura's dress, her hands red and slick with blood. She desperately clung to the dead form of the love of her life. The love of her life… She lifted her head and let out yet another body-wrecking scream as she placed her hand on Maura's forehead, feeling awfully cold skin that held no life. She lowered her head and let it fall to her wife's chest where there was no heartbeat or warmth anymore, feeling her own heartbeat speeding as all the warmth in her life faded away. _

_Jane felt a crippling desperation overwhelming her. The three most important people in her life were ripped away from her, harshly ripped away out of her life and her life didn't make sense anymore. Life without Maura, Riley and Lizzie didn't make sense. It was nothing. Without them, there was nothing left and Jane cried. She cried violently, screaming into the night until her voice was hoarse and her muscles ached. She cried in desperation and hoped the immense pain would kill her right there. _

'_I have to wake up now,' Jane faintly thought, hoping she would. 'I have to wake up. Now.' _

Jane opened her eyes and shot up in bed, panting furiously, drenched in sweat as tears streamed down her face. "Maura," she called out, her voice hoarse and barely audible. She turned to look at her wife, but found the bed empty and cold. "Maura!" she yelled, feeling the same panic creeping up on her. "MAURA!" She ran out of bed and checked the bathroom, only finding it empty as well.

"Oh God what if it was real," Jane whispered to herself, feeling her throat closing up in fear, her breath quickening as her heartbeat sped up. She frantically ran downstairs, through the living room towards the garage.

She yanked the door open and flipped on the lights, seeing nothing at first but when her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that the garage was empty. She sighed in relief and rubbed her forehead, noticing how her hands were clean and free from blood as reality slowly caught up to her.

She and Maura just came back from a romantic weekend and Lizzie had been upset, causing Maura to sleep with her for the night. Jane turned off the lights and closed the door again, walking back upstairs to slowly open Lizzie's bedroom door. Her heart was still racing and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it didn't help the sense of panic she was still feeling.

She saw her wife and daughter sleeping peacefully, immediately taking comfort in the way Maura's chest moved up and down with her slow breaths. She walked towards them and gently placed her hand on Lizzie's chest, feeling a steady heartbeat. She sighed in relief and let her head fall into her hands, falling to her knees and crying softly for a long time.

"Ma?" A soft whisper interrupted Jane's cries and she shot up to see Riley standing in the doorway. "What's wrong?"

Jane wiped her tears and sighed deeply. "Nothing, it's fine. Go back to sleep, honey."

"Ma..." Riley whispered. "I heard you running through the house." Tears shimmered in her eyes and the girl looked truly worried and even a little scared. "What's going on?"

Jane let out a soft sob and opened her arms for her daughter, grateful to feel Riley accepting her mother's embrace. Jane gently moved one hand to Riley's neck, looking for her pulse and sighed in relief when she felt a steady heartbeat. "This is real," Jane whispered, mostly to herself. "They're okay."

"Mama, what's wrong?" Riley repeated.

Jane pulled back and brushed Riley's hair back that was messy from sleeping on it. "I dreamed you all died," she whispered as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Riley's forehead.

"We're not dead." Riley smiled shyly and Jane saw relief on the girl's face, knowing that nothing truly bad happened.

Jane smoothed Riley's messy hair, only now seeing that her eyes were red and swollen. "Did you have a nightmare too?"

Riley nodded and looked down at her feet, averting her gaze as she shrugged. "Yeah."

Jane sighed and kissed her daughter's cheek. "C'mon," she whispered, guiding Riley out of the room. Before they reached the doorway, Jane walked back to press a soft kiss on her wife's forehead and Lizzie's curls.

Riley smiled and allowed Jane to gently grabbed her arm, leading her towards her mothers' bedroom. Jane wiped her wet cheeks and pulled the covers back, inviting her daughter to lie next to her as she snuggled back into bed. She smiled when she felt Riley's hand grabbing her wrist, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Jane turned onto her side and looked at Riley who was staring at the ceiling. "You're not dead," Jane whispered barely audible, mostly to herself. She sighed and pulled Riley close, feeling the girl resting her head on her chest.

"I love you, Mama." Riley whispered into her mother.

Jane let out a dry sob and pulled her daughter close. "I love you too, honey."

Riley was already drifting back to sleep but Jane was wide awake and knew she probably wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon. She moved her arm that was wrapped around Riley's back and placed it on Riley's neck, looking for her pulse. After searching for a few seconds, she found a steady pulse and sighed deeply, taking comfort in the feeling of her daughter's heartbeat, her daughter who was alive and well in her arms. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on top of Riley's head, enjoying the feeling of her sleeping daughter in her arms.

Surprisingly enough, Jane ended up sleeping for a few hours, but she still woke up before the break of dawn. Jane opened her eyes and sighed deeply, noticing her hand that still rested on Riley's pulse. She gently pulled it away and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache announcing itself.

"Ma, are you sure you're okay?" Riley asked softly and Jane snapped her attention to her daughter, not knowing that she had been awake.

Jane sighed and pulled back to look at the girl in her arms. She smiled and brushed some hair out of Riley's face before kissing her forehead. "No," she whispered. "But I will be."

Riley nodded. "Nightmares suck."

"They sure do." Jane chuckled and fell silent for a moment before breaking out into laughter, emotional release falling upon her. She saw Riley giggling too and pulled her daughter close to her chest. "Boy, aren't we a pair?"

"Yeah." Riley laughed and pulled away to sit up against the headboard, Jane following quickly. "I dreamed I was at a party, and it was a really big party and I didn't know anyone there. I was all by myself surrounded by hundreds of people I didn't know. I don't even know why I woke up feeling so panicked."

"Dreams can have that effect," Jane replied softly, tucking a strand of hair behind Riley's ear. "They mess with your head and your heart. And that's the worst part."

Riley nodded and looked at her mother, exhaustion showing in her bright blue eyes. "You just have to keep reminding yourself that it's not real. 'Cause real life is so much better, y'know?"

Jane smiled at her daughter's wise words and gently stroked her upper arm. "Yeah."

"We didn't die and I'm not at a party where I don't know anyone," Riley said with a slight chuckle. "I'm here and Mom and Lizzie are sleeping and everything's fine."

Jane felt tears burning in her eyes and wrapped her arms around her daughter, hugging her closely as she rubbed the girl's back. "I love you so much, baby," she whispered. "So, so much."

"I love you too but you're squishing me." Riley mumbled into Jane's tight embrace.

Jane loosened her tight grip, allowing the girl to breathe as she chuckled softly. She brushed Riley's brown hair back and looked into her eyes. "You completely killed my badass cop-reputation, you know that?"

"No." Riley giggled.

"Yeah, you turned me into a snuggle-mom." Jane smirked and kissed the top of Riley's head.

"Why do I get all the blame?" Riley laughed. "It's Lizzie's fault too. And I feel like Mom has something to do with it as well."

"Maybe." Jane hummed and kissed Riley's temple. "You have to get some more sleep, honey," she said softly. "It's not even 5am yet and you have school in the morning."

Riley nodded and slowly slumped down against the headboard, resting her head on Jane's shoulder as she closed her eyes, allowing exhaustion to overwhelm her. "I can't wait for summer."

"I know. It's only a few more weeks, sweetie." Jane kissed the top of Riley's head and relaxed against the pillows. "Then we'll go to Florida."

"And we're gonna play soccer on the beach and swim in the ocean all day," Riley mumbled, her eyelids already getting heavy.

"Hmm, yes. And I'm still gonna kick your butt at soccer." Jane smirked and dodged a playful slap from the girl in her arms. "But mostly we're just gonna spend time together, just the four of us and it's gonna be great."

Riley hummed and closed her eyes, slowly drifting back to sleep, as Jane stayed awake again. It wasn't until their normal wake-up time around 7am that Maura softly walked into the bedroom, smiling but furrowing her brow in concern at the sight of her wife and daughter.

"What's going on?" Maura whispered, careful not to wake Riley as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to Jane.

Jane shrugged and avoided her wife's gaze. "Nightmares."

"Jane." Maura cupped her wife's cheek and gently pulled her in for a quick but loving kiss. She brushed Jane's hair back and looked deeply into her eyes. "You've been crying and I can tell you have a rather painful headache, and you're clearly upset."

"You know me too well." Jane whispered with a sad smile.

Maura chuckled softly and kissed her wife's lips again. "I'm calling you in sick for today."

"No way, Maur." Jane protested softly, carefully shifting the girl in her arms so she could face her wife. "I already took last Friday off. I have to catch up on my paperwork and there's been a murder Saturday night."

"And you know about that because...?" Maura asked, tilting her head.

Jane lowered her gaze and felt a shy blush creeping up her cheeks "Because I checked my phone?"

"Your phone, which we agreed to turn off so we could fully enjoy each other's company without the interruption of work?"

"Yes." Jane gave her wife a small smile and looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping to persuade her. "But that didn't mean I didn't enjoy your company. I immensely enjoyed your company. And everything else. Mostly your boobs."

Maura sighed but Jane saw a cheerful sparkle in her eyes as she kissed her wife's lips again. "You're incorrigible." She pulled back and averted her gaze towards Riley, carefully smoothing the girl's hair. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah." Jane nodded. "I think so. She heard me tonight so she came to check up on me. The sweetheart."

"What did she hear?"

"Just… Me, walking around." Jane lowered her gaze again and felt herself closing up, not exactly knowing why. "Where's Lizzie?"

"Still in bed." Maura sighed and placed her hand on Jane's chin to lift her head, making eye contact again. "Why aren't you talking to me, my love?" she whispered.

"'Cause it scares me." Jane mumbled.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"I think you do, babe," Maura replied with a sympathetic smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind Jane's ear and kissed the corner of her wife's mouth. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm calling you in sick for this morning so you can get a few hours of sleep. I'll make sure the girls get to school, and then we'll talk. Okay?"

Jane sighed and knew it wasn't much use to protest. She slowly nodded. "Okay."

Maura smiled and kissed Jane again before turning her attention towards her sleeping daughter. "Now we have to wake this sleeping beauty 'cause she has to be in school in an hour."

Jane smiled at the loving look in Maura's eyes when she looked at their daughter. Maura and Riley were inseparable. Riley definitely pulled towards Maura a lot and sometimes that bothered Jane. Maura and Riley had been very close right from the beginning, and sometimes she felt left out. But, Maura's words from yesterday night hadn't left her mind. 'Her happiness is more important than mine'. Maura was right. Riley's happiness was more important than Jane's. The connection Maura and Riley made them both happy. And all Jane needed was their happiness. Jane knew Riley needed the brunette as well. As long as Riley was happy, it didn't really matter. She simple enjoyed the way her oldest daughter interacted so effortlessly with Maura. The love they had for each other was truly infinite and inspiring.

"Riley, love." Maura said softly, gently shaking Riley's shoulder. "Wake up, it's time to get ready for school."

Riley grunted and buried her face into Jane's chest, curling up into her mother's side as her arm draped around Jane's stomach. "Five more minutes, Mom."

"No, now." Maura smiled and leaned over Jane to kiss her daughter's cheek. "You can't be late."

Riley grunted and covered her face with her arms, not exactly appreciating Maura's affection this early. "Okay, okay."

Maura pulled back and brushed Riley's hair back, slowly turning serious again. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" 

"Yeah." Riley whispered as she nodded, trying to manage a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Maura pressed her lips against Riley's forehead and closed her eyes. "I love you, my baby."

"Mommy!" Lizzie bounced into the bedroom, immediately bringing cheerfulness and energy into the room. "Can I wear my dog sweater today?" Lizzie jumped up on the bed, showing her mothers a blue sweater with a dog print on it.

"Oh, no honey, that is way too warm for today." Maura smiled at her youngest daughter.

"Yeah, you're gonna be sweating all day in that thing." Jane chuckled and opened her arms for Lizzie. "C'mere."

Lizzie pouted and dropped her sweater on the floor before crawling on the bed, into Jane's arms. Jane happily wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled her close into her lap, kissing Lizzie's blonde curls. "Did you sleep well tonight?"

Lizzie nodded against Jane's chest. "Yeah but I want Stevie back 'cause Mommy snores a little."

Jane laughed and winked at Maura, flinching at the stinging pain behind her left eye, caused by a rather terrible headache that seemed to increase with every minute. "Isn't that adorable, though?"

"Nah."

Maura chuckled and loosened her grip on Riley to guide Lizzie out of the bed. "Come on honey, we have to get ready for school."

Lizzie jumped off the bed and grabbed her sweater off the floor. "Can I wear my smiley shirt in stead?"

"Yes, you can." Maura smiled and pulled Riley's arm, getting her up from the bed before following Lizzie to her room.

Jane smiled at the sight but her smile fell when she remembered that feeling of intense fear. The immense love for her little family came with a great fear and that scared the detective. And Jane wasn't easily scared.

She shook her head and tried to let it go for now, feeling her headache increasing with every movement. She furrowed her brow and slumped down into the pillows, feeling a stinging ache behind her eyes as she closed them. She woke up an hour later, smelling the delicious smell of Maura's fresh coffee coming from downstairs. She got up and grunted slightly at the headache that hadn't gotten much better before grabbing a long sleeved shirt and walking downstairs, meeting her wife in the kitchen.

"Morning, babe." Maura greeted her detective with a smile. She walked towards Jane and sweetly kissed her lips for a moment. "You're not feeling any better, are you?" Maura asked as she looked deeply into Jane's eyes.

"Not really." Jane smiled a sad smile and sat down at the dinner table after accepting a cup of coffee from her wife. "My head is killing me."

Maura sighed and grabbed a box of painkillers from the kitchen cabinet. "Take two of these, that should help." She handed Jane a strip of pills and sat down next to her, putting her own cup of coffee on the table in front of her. "And you should drink at least two glasses of water to avoid dehydration due to protracted crying."

Jane took the pills and smiled at how well Maura knew her. It wasn't just Maura's experience and intelligence that told her Jane had been crying pretty much all night. Nobody knew Jane as well as Maura did. Maura knew every inch, every part, every corner of Jane's heart and mind and Jane allowed it. "Thanks."

"Jane," Maura whispered as she tucked a strand of hair behind Jane's ear, "talk to me."

Jane immediately felt tears burning in her eyes at the heartfelt and caring tone in Maura's voice. "It's nothing, really," she replied softly.

"Yes it is. You've had a nightmare and you are hurt, probably angry and most likely scared. You've been crying a lot, and you haven't slept for more than I'd say… three to four hours."

"Okay, doctor Smartypants." Jane smirked but she felt her heart bursting with love at her wife's concern.

"Jane."

Jane took a deep breath and looked into her wife's hazel eyes, seeing a mixture of concern, empathy and love. "I was a bad one," she whispered. "You all died. You, Riley, Lizzie… Someone slid your throats and you bled out in the garage."

"The garage?" Maura tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she processed that information.

"Yeah, don't go analyze it now, okay?" Jane glared at her wife.

"I'm sorry, I won't."

"It felt so real…" Jane whispered quietly. "And the awful desperation I felt… The feeling of being completely and utterly lost… That scared me."

Maura brushed Jane's hair back and moved her chair closer to Jane so she could kiss her wife's temple. "Oh, babe."

"I didn't want to live anymore, Maur." Jane looked at her wife and felt a tear trickling down her cheek at the sight of Maura's shimmering hazel eyes. "Losing you three made me give up."

"Jane…"

Jane shook her head and interrupted her wife. "Nothing has ever made me give up, Maur," she whispered. "I don't give up. I deal with stuff and press on. But now… It's like… I don't know. I'm not independent anymore. Without you and the girls, I'm nothing."

"That's not true, my love." Maura protested quietly.

"Yeah." Jane lifted her eyebrows and felt tears falling down her cheeks. "It is. I need you. I need Riley, and I need Lizzie. I need all of you. If you are gone… There's nothing left."

"We're not going anywhere, Jane."

"No, I know that." Jane smiled sadly and wiped her cheeks. "But it still scares me."

"The thought of losing us?"

"Yeah, that too."

"What else?"

Jane sighed deeply and rested her elbow on the table as she rubbed her forehead. "It scares me to know that I put my heart in other people."

"You've done that a long time ago, Jane." Maura whispered, grabbing Jane's hand to gently rub her wife's knuckles. "Is it really that different with three people in stead of one?"

Jane shrugged. "Feels like it." She smiled a sad smile and saw the same smile on Maura's lips, the smile that didn't show happiness, but spoke love and sympathy. "It just scares me, that's all. The thought of losing you, the knowledge that if I ever lose you I'm gonna lose myself…"

"You won't." Maura shook her head and choked on her tears before taking a deep breath and wiping her cheeks. "_If _you ever lose me, which you won't, but _if_…You'll grief, and cry and you'll be broken and then you pick yourself up again. You'll live."

"But a life without you or Riley or Lizzie is… nothing."

"I know it feels that way, my love," Maura whispered as she lovingly caressed Jane's cheek. "I feel the same way and I wish I could tell you it's not true, but I can't. I agree. Life without you and the girls by my side is nothing." Maura smiled and pressed her lips against Jane's in a quick but loving kiss. "But you are by my side. I don't have to experience that life because you're here with me. And I'm with you, and I'm never, ever leaving you, Jane."

Jane frantically wiped her cheeks where the tears just kept on falling. "You better not," she smirked. "I'm a mess without you."

Maura chuckled and stood up to sit sideways in Jane's lap, wrapping her arms around her wife's neck to give her a deep kiss. "You need to stop scaring yourself and erase those images from your mind. I've told you many times that morning meditation can help you with that."

"I don't do meditation."

"Riley does it along with me sometimes and she loves it." Maura raised her eyebrows and combed her fingers through Jane's messy curls.

"Hmm, I'm not Riley." Jane smiled and kissed her wife's lips again. "I may not be the tough ass detective I once was, but I draw the line at meditating."

"You're still that detective, Jane," Maura whispered sincerely. "You can be tough and cuddly at the same time. That's one of the many reasons I fell in love with you."

Jane kissed her wife's perfect lips and smiled. "I love you, Maur," Jane whispered at lack for better words.

Maura smiled and kissed her wife's lips again before leaning in close, resting her head in the crook of Jane's neck. "I love you too, babe."

Jane placed lazy kisses along her wife's neck and felt her muscles relaxing, as her headache got slightly better. Maura made everything better. Headaches, nightmares, life… Maura made it all better. Everything was better in Maura's arms and with Maura's lips on hers. And this was reality. Maura's kisses, her deliciously familiar scent, her beauty and endlessly kind heart, that's what's reality. And in that moment, Jane's nightmare faded and love replaced it.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Mom, do you and Ma have any plans for Friday, two weeks from now?" Riley asked while she sipped from a cup of hot tea, sitting on the couch next to her mother who was working on her laptop. Lizzie was sitting on the floor; painting in her coloring book and Jane was at BPD. She had been stuck in interrogation all afternoon.

Maura pursed her lips and hummed while she pulled up her calendar on her computer. "Let me see. Friday night?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm free for now but I am on call." Maura replied as she scrolled through the page. "Your Ma is off duty, though."

"Do you think you can uhm…" Riley hesitated and fumbled with her cup. "Do you think you can make sure you're free that night?"

"What's going on, my love?" Maura chuckled at Riley's shy blush.

"There's a talent show at my school, right before summer starts..."

Maura gasped and clapped her hands together, remembering how Jane told her about the event a while ago. "Oh! And you're participating?"

Riley took a deep breath and avoided eye contact, looking at her younger sister on the floor. "Maybe."

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, honey." Maura smiled brightly and brushed Riley's hair back.

"Mr. Watson asked me to perform after he heard me play in music class, but I told him I didn't want to. But he just kept asking and now I think I maybe want to do it…"

"What's keeping you?" Maura asked softly.

"I'm scared," Riley whispered, still avoiding eye contact. "I'm afraid people will laugh at me."

"But honey, you're incredibly talented. There's absolutely no reason for people to laugh at you." Maura rubbed her daughter's back. "Your teacher asked you for this, that means you have a lot of talent. He wouldn't ask you if he didn't think you were good."

Riley shrugged. "But this talent show is usually for those popular, pretty girls with clear voices and they sing love songs and stuff like that."

"I don't think that's a reason you shouldn't participate," Maura replied quietly. "You play the piano so beautifully, and you're the prettiest girl in the world."

"You just say that 'cause you're my mom," Riley whispered.

"No, I'm not," Maura said surprisingly sternly. She cupped her daughter's face to look deeply into her clear, blue eyes. "You _are _talented, your teacher wouldn't ask you if you weren't. And my love, you're so beautiful."

Riley shook her head and Maura saw tears in her daughter's eyes, telling her that this was the true problem. "You don't see it, do you?" Maura whispered.

"All I see is my stupid scars!" Riley said loudly, tears spilling on her cheeks. Her breath hitched in her throat and she let out a heartbreaking sob. "I still hear him say how ugly and useless I am and I can't… I can't get that out of my head!"

Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and pulled her daughter to her chest, hugging her tightly in her arms. "Oh, my love." Maura's heart broke at her daughter's words. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that there are people in the world who dared to call their children ugly and useless. She couldn't even imagine that. To Maura, her daughters were the most gorgeous, amazing girls in the world and nothing would ever change that.

Riley had frequent therapy, and it helped her to deal with her feelings and her past, but nothing could take the memories away. Maura searched her brain for a way to show Riley how beautiful she was, but she couldn't come up with anything. She told her over and over again, but Riley needed to see it as well. "Come on." Maura pulled her daughter up from the couch and guided her towards the hall to stand in front of the large mirror.

Riley looked down at her feet, tears still falling. Maura stood behind her daughter and placed her hands on Riley's upper arms. "You don't like to look at yourself, do you?"

Riley shook her head. "No," she whispered.

Maura squeezed Riley's upper arms and looked at her daughter in the mirror, smiling lovingly. "My love, you are so beautiful."

"I'm just insecure." Riley whispered, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"I know," Maura whispered. "But look at yourself, honey."

Riley slowly lifted her gaze towards the mirror and looked at herself with shimmering eyes. Maura smiled and kissed the back of her daughter's head. "You have those beautiful, clear blue eyes," she chuckled at her daughter's blush and rubbed her arms for a second. "Your brown hair that looks so beautiful on you, your slim figure… There's nothing not beautiful about you. Your father, your scars and your past don't change that."

Riley sobbed quietly and turned around to hide her face into Maura's shoulder. Maura gladly wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her close after kissing the girl's head. "I know you're insecure and I know how difficult it is to see yourself for the amazing person you truly are."

Riley nodded against her mother and Maura felt tears wetting her blouse. "You have to know that you truly are a beautiful young girl." Maura smiled and kissed her daughter's head that rested on her shoulder. "But more importantly, you're kind, talented, funny, generous and so incredibly sweet."

"Thank you," Riley mumbled as Maura pulled her close.

They stayed silent for a while, enjoying the embrace, feeling their love and the connection they'd always had. After a few moments, Lizzie slowly walked towards the two of them and looked up at Maura with wide eyes. "What's wrong with Riley?"

"Riley's a little insecure," Maura answered with a smile as she pulled back to look at her youngest daughter.

"Why?" Lizzie asked, the question she always asked lately. She reached her arms, silently asking to be picked up, which Maura happily obliged to. "What's in… insecure?"

Maura pulled Lizzie off the floor and placed the girl on her hip, using one arm to keep her youngest daughter steady while the other wrapped around Riley's shoulders as Maura kissed her temple. "I just needed to remind Riley how beautiful and great she is, that's all."

Lizzie nodded and seemed satisfied with that answer. She wrapped on arm around Maura's neck as she put her thumb into her mouth, indicating that she was tired after a long week in kindergarten. Maura smiled and rocked her back and forth, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the small girl in her arms.

"I love you, my beautiful girls," Maura whispered with a smile, pulling both Riley and Lizzie close. This was her favorite part about being a mother. The part where she had her daughters in her arms, to feel Lizzie's small arms wrapped around her, tangled in her hair and Riley's skinny arm around her waist, her brown hair tickling her neck as she whispered a quiet 'love you too'. She loved every single part about being a mother, but this was without a doubt her favorite. If she could, she would never let them go and keep them in her arms forever.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jane smirked after she walked through the front door.

"Mama!" Lizzie squirmed out of Maura's arms and jumped on the floor to run towards Jane, hoping to roughhouse with her brown-haired mother, suddenly spurred on by newfound energy.

"Hey, peanut." Jane smiled and picked her daughter off the floor, swinging her in a circle through the air, eliciting loud giggles.

"Did ya catch the bad guys?" Lizzie asked, bouncing up and down in Jane's arms.

"No." Jane pouted after a deep sigh, giving Maura a knowing look. "He's stubborn and he has a very good lawyer, unfortunately."

"Oh." Lizzie replied, clearly not understanding what Jane was talking about.

"Korsak and Frankie are now talking to his family and neighbors, we're hoping to get something out of them," Jane told Maura, moving Lizzie onto her hip before stepping towards her wife, placing a sweet kiss on Maura's lips.

"Hmm, I hope they'll talk." Maura sighed and happily accepted the kiss. "That family deserves some peace."

"Yep." Jane smiled and moved Lizzie into the air again. "But unless something unexpected happens, I'm free to spend the night with my girls."

"I'm having dinner at Sarah's." Riley said as she quickly hugged her mother.

"Which we have to leave for in ten minutes, by the way," Maura reminded her daughter, knowing she agreed to drive her.

"You're having dinner at Sarah's?" Jane raised her eyebrows, looking confused at her wife.

"No, I'm driving Riley." Maura laughed. "I'm having dinner with you and Lizzie."

"Yeah!" Lizzie squirmed out of Jane's arms to stand back on the ground and look up at her mothers. "Can we have dinner outside? It's warm!"

Maura pursed her lips and pretended to think about that for a while, causing Lizzie to jump up and down. "Please?"

"Hey, we can have dinner at the park, right?" Jane asked with a smile, already liking her idea.

"Oh, that's a great idea." Maura laughed as Lizzie bounced back to Jane with a loud 'yay'.

"A picnic!"

"Yeah, great. You go do all kinds of fun stuff while I'm doing homework with Sarah." Riley pouted, but her blue eyes showed a cheerful sparkle.

"Oh stop it, it's not like you won't be having fun." Maura kissed Riley's temple and urged her towards the living room. "Go get your stuff, please." 

"Yeah," Jane called after her, "and besides, your mom will be bringing all kinds of weird salads anyway."

Maura slapped Jane's arm but accepted another kiss on her lips. "Admit it, you love it."

"No. But I definitely love you." Jane smirked and pressed her lips against Maura's for a deeper kiss.

"I love you too, Jane," Maura whispered with a loving smile.

Two hours later, Jane and Maura sat under a big tree on a bench in the park while they watched Lizzie kick around a soccer ball with a slightly older girl she just met. Jane's arm was wrapped around Maura's shoulders as she leaned into the brunette's side, enjoying the early summer air and her wife's arms. "This was a great idea, Jane," Maura said softly.

"I know." Jane smirked and kissed the side of Maura's head. "All my ideas are great."

"I can't agree with that, but this was certainly a great one." Maura smiled and gently grabbed Jane's hand to lace their fingers together.

"Lizzie sucks at soccer though."

"Oh shut it." Maura slapped her wife's leg. "She's only five and watch your language."

"What? The kids aren't around."

Maura shrugged and rested her head on Jane's shoulder. "Still."

Jane hummed and kissed the top of her wife's head. "What was the matter with Riley? She'd been crying, hadn't she?"

"Yes. She's thinking about participating in that talent show, but she's just so incredibly insecure." Maura shifted to lean further into Jane's side. "Compliments don't really help, she just doesn't see it."

"See what?"

"How beautiful she is."

Jane sighed deeply and squeezed Maura's shoulder. "I wish we could show her."

"Me too." Maura turned her head to look at Jane and gently cupped her cheek. "You're the same, you know. You don't realize how gorgeous you are either."

"Maur." Jane tilted her head and smiled shyly.

"It's true!" Maura smiled and shifted to look at Lizzie again who was proudly showing the girl how she could kick the ball into the air. "You're absolutely stunning, Jane."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Suddenly Maura saw Lizzie harshly grabbing the ball from the girl and giving her an angry look before she ran towards her mothers. "What's the matter, baby?" Jane asked while Lizzie climbed into her lap.

"Jenna's saying mean things about you and Mommy!" Lizzie folded her arms in front of her chest and looked angrily at the girl who was now walking away, making her way out of the park, leaving it empty except for the little family on the bench.

"What did she say?" Jane asked softly.

"She said it's gross 'cause you both girls." Lizzie relaxed with her back against Jane's front, her arms still crossed.

Jane hummed and kissed the top of Lizzie's head before resting her chin on top of it. "That's not a nice thing to say."

Maura sighed and closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead. She hated the fact that there were people out there who disapproved of their love, but the fact that their children had to suffer for it made it even worse. Luckily, Lizzie didn't pay much attention to it and was too young to worry about it for too long, but it bothered Maura nonetheless. She could handle judgmental people, disapproving looks and rudeness, but her children didn't deserve to experience that as well. They didn't choose to be their kids, except for Riley who had some say in the matter, but they sure didn't choose to be judged because of who their parents are.

Lizzie nodded and shifted to sit sideways in Jane's lap, facing Maura as her thumb went into her mouth again. "I think it's time to go home," Maura said with a smile. "This baby is quite tired, I believe."

"No I'm not." Lizzie shook her head.

"Oh, yes you are, my love." Maura laughed and pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead, inhaling her baby's scent for a moment before she stood up to gather their stuff.

They stood up and Maura felt Lizzie's hand grabbing hers, the girl's other arm holding the soccer ball. Maura smiled and looked at her wife, who was wearing a similar loving smile on her face.

They walked to the car and drove back home, Lizzie falling asleep at the second turn. Maura parked the car in the garage and looked at the backseat, seeing Lizzie slowly opening her eyes as the absence of the sound of a motor running woke her up.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Jane greeted her with a smile.

Lizzie let out a deep breath and turned her head, about to fall back asleep. "No, you're gonna sleep in your bed, Liz." Jane smirked and unbuckled her seatbelt to get out of the car, lifting Lizzie out of her seat and into her arms.

Maura smiled and took the keys out of the ignition before getting out of the car herself, following Jane inside who had an almost sleeping infant wrapped around her. She followed Jane upstairs and opened Lizzie's bedroom door for Jane so she could put the now sleeping girl on her bed. Maura kneeled down and untied Lizzie's sneakers before carefully taking off her jeans as Jane tucked her in.

Maura grabbed Stevie and gently put the stuffed animal against her daughter, who immediately grabbed the duck as she sighed in her sleep and turned onto her side, sucking her thumb in her mouth.

"She's way too cute for a five-year old," Jane smirked and adjusted the blankets a last time before standing up, looking down at her youngest daughter.

"Are you implying that five-year olds in general aren't cute?" Maura asked softly, genuinely concerned by Jane's statement.

"No, I'm implying that our kid is cuter than all the other five-year olds in the world."

"That…" Maura thought about that statement, thinking about the accuracy and concluding that there was no accuracy to this. "That doesn't even remotely make sense."

Jane shrugged and pulled Maura up from her kneeled position before placing a sweet kiss on her lips. "It did in my head."

"A lot of inaccurate things seem to be making sense in your head, Jane," Maura whispered before capturing Jane's lips in a loving kiss.

Jane smiled into the kiss and didn't break it while walking out of Lizzie's room, pushing Maura against the wall in the hallway as they continued a much needed and much appreciated make out session. Maura moaned slightly and smiled to herself at the fact that she would be perfectly happy just kissing this woman for the rest of her life. She didn't need anything else.

Unfortunately, the sound of Riley's voice coming from downstairs broke their lovely moment. Jane sighed and rested her forehead against Maura's. "Darn," Maura whispered, "I was hoping to continue this for a while."

Jane chuckled and squeezed her wife's sides. "Did you just say 'darn'?"

"Yes, why?"

Jane laughed and kissed Maura's lips before releasing her tight grip on her. "Nothing, it's _darn _adorable."

"Jane, you're laughing at me, aren't you?" Maura asked, placing her hands on her hips as Jane walked down the hallway.

Jane looked over her shoulder and gave her wife a seductive wink. "Maybe."

Maura sighed and was about to comment on her wife's cheesiness but couldn't help laughing at the way Jane swayed her hips and turned around, making an extravagant bow at the top of the stairs. "Watch it, detective Rizzoli," Maura laughed and pinched Jane's side before walking down the stairs, seeing Riley, Sarah and Sarah's father Stephen standing in the living room.

"Oh, hello," Maura greeted them, slightly overwhelmed. "I didn't know you were all here." She walked towards Riley and greeted her with a quick kiss on her cheek before turning back to Sarah's father, dressed in his expensive dark blue suit.

"I was just dropping Riley off," Stephen answered after politely shaking Jane's hand and turning to greet Maura. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you." Jane smiled but Maura still saw the hesitation in her wife's attitude. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well." The man seemed hesitant and even a little uncomfortable, glancing at Riley who was showing Sarah something on her phone, slightly unaware of the adults in the room. "I just… I think I owe you an apology."

"Yeah," Jane said sternly, "I think so too."

"Jane," Maura glared at her wife and lightly squeezed her arm.

Stephen smiled and adjusted his tie. "My wife and I are raising our kids to be Christians, and we are religious ourselves so this uhm… subject… is quite difficult for us."

"Subject?" Jane asked, crossing her arms in defense. "You mean your daughter?"

"I think he just means homosexuality, Jane," Maura said, eager to change her wife's attitude. Stephen seemed genuinely sorry.

"Yes, that's what I mean. We're new to this, and we're educating ourselves, talking to Sarah a lot, reading about what the Bible says about this all… It's a difficult process. But I think I need to thank you and your wife for helping make this process a little easier for Sarah."

Maura smiled and saw Jane's expression soften. "We are happy to help," Maura said politely.

"Sarah's a great kid," Jane added with an almost genuine smile, "we'll help wherever we can."

"Thank you." Stephen showed a genuine smile before turning towards the girls. "Sarah, we have to go home."

Sarah let out a whining sigh, but the stern look on her father's face changed her mind about protesting. "Okay. See you at soccer tomorrow?"

Riley nodded. "Of course."

Sarah gave Riley a quick hug before following her dad outside. "Bye, Riley's moms!"

Jane laughed and squeezed Maura's arm. "Haven't we already told her she's allowed to just call us Jane and Maura?"

"Many times, I believe."

Sarah laughed shyly and opened the front door. "I don't think I'll get used to that."

"You won't if you don't try," Riley said with a smug smile.

"Bye, Jane and Maura," Sarah flinched at the words and laughed before following her father outside, but turned around and ran back to the door. "Don't forget to tell your moms about the show, Rile!"

"Show?" Maura turned to her daughter and saw Riley waving at Sarah, guiding her to leave it alone. Sarah laughed and closed the door, leaving Riley and two expecting moms in the living room.

"What show?" Jane asked, raising her eyebrows.

Riley sighed deeply and looked up at her mother. "I'm gonna do the talent show."

_A/N Thank you all for reading this story and your kind reviews! I'm taking suggestions for which song Riley should sing at the talent show. I want her to sing it for Jane and Maura, to thank them or something, but I haven't found the right song yet. I'd love to hear your suggestions! _


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

_A/N Thanks for all your song suggestions and kind reviews! There's so much fluff in this chapter I almost think it's too much. But I love it too much to change it, so here it goes. Please let me know your thoughts and feelings!_

It was Friday night, the night of Riley's performance and Jane, Maura and Lizzie entered Riley's school feeling quite nervous. Riley had been restless all day, locking herself in the piano room to practice and to make sure nothing could go wrong. Maura had braided Riley's hair beautifully so it hung loosely over her shoulder where she wore a simple blue dress. The girl looked absolutely stunning. They had dropped Riley off at school a few hours earlier, for sound checks and all that.

"It's going to be fine, Jane." Maura whispered, giving Jane's hand a light squeeze.

Jane sighed and smiled at her wife. "I know."

"Why's Riley's school so big?" Lizzie asked, looking around the auditorium while she held Jane's hand as they walked, her plush duck named Stevie in her other hand.

"'Cause it's high school," Jane replied. "High school's always big."

"The seats in the front are already taken." Maura scanned the room and narrowed her eyes, looking for a place to sit.

"Here, these are good seats." Jane guided Maura towards the seats by the aisle, a little to the right. She took Lizzie in her lap as Maura sat next to her, anxiously waiting for the evening to start.

"It's really a shame your mother couldn't attend." Maura said, absentmindedly rubbing Jane's arm that was wrapped around their youngest daughter.

"Yeah, she was pretty upset about it." Jane smirked. "But the school hired someone to tape it, so we'll have it on film."

Maura nodded and Jane saw the tension in her wife. She saw the way her shoulders were slightly pulled up, the twitch in her left eye and the way her mouth was a clean stripe. She was possibly more nervous than Riley herself. "Maur, she's gonna be great."

"I know." Maura smiled at her wife and smoothed Lizzie's curls. "I just hope she's not too nervous."

They waited in silence for a few minutes, Lizzie occupied playing with Stevie while watching all the people that entered and found their seats in the big auditorium. The two women felt their nerves grow. Suddenly Jane saw a short girl standing in the doorway on the right, scanning the room. She immediately recognized her daughter's brown hair and her dress and she waved.

"What?" Maura asked, snapping her attention towards the point where Jane was looking. She saw Riley and immediately the girl ran towards the women. "Oh, baby." Maura whispered to herself.

Riley ran towards them and Jane lifted Lizzie off her lap to stand up and open her arms for her oldest daughter who immediately ran into them. "Hey, sweetie." Jane whispered.

She felt Maura's hand resting on her lower back as the blonde brushed a strand of Riley's hair back. "My love," Maura said softly, "is everything okay?"

"I don't know." Riley pulled back to look at Maura and Jane saw immense fear in her daughter's clear blue eyes. "I don't know if I can do it, Mom."

Maura sighed and leaned forward to press her lips against Riley's forehead, smiling when she wiped the lip-gloss she left there. "You don't have to, sweetheart. Nobody is forcing you. It's your choice."

"But I know you can do it." Jane whispered, gently caressing Riley's cheek. "If you decide to do it, I know you can and you're gonna be amazing."

"What if I mess up?" Riley asked, her voice small and vulnerable.

"Then you recover and try again." Maura replied with a soothing smile.

"What if people laugh at me?"

"Then I'll kick their ass so hard they'll see stars."

"Jane!" Maura gasped at her wife's aggression and use of language.

"You know I will, Maur." Jane smirked at her wife before turning her attention back to Riley, grateful to see a slight smile on her pale face.

"Riley?" Lizzie climbed up on the chair and stood so she was at eyelevel with her sister. "Are you scared?"

"Yeah." Riley nodded smiled shyly.

"Why?"

"I…." Riley hesitated and took a deep breath. "I don't really know."

"You can have Stevie if you want!" Lizzie smiled and bounced at her amazing idea, offering Riley the stuffed animal.

Riley laughed and lifted Lizzie off her feet, grunting slightly at the weight as she hugged her sister close. "No thanks, I'm good."

"You can't be scared 'cause you're really really _really_ good at piano playing!" Lizzie said in her childlike sincerely.

Jane smiled at their interaction and took Lizzie form Riley's arms. "Go kick ass, honey." Jane whispered. "You can do it, we're proud of you no matter what."

Maura squirmed herself past Jane in the narrow space between the chairs to wrap her arms around Riley. "I love you so much, my baby girl. We both love you so much, and you're so talented." Maura smiled and kissed the side of her daughter's head. "You are going to be amazing."

Riley nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay." She smiled up at Jane and Lizzie and placed a quick kiss on Jane's cheek before ruffling Lizzie's curls. "I have to go."

"I'm proud of you, baby." Jane said right before Riley turned around to walk backstage.

"We love you!" Maura called after her, eliciting a few stares from the people around them but neither of them cared.

A few minutes later, the curtains opened and a man came into view. He introduced himself as Mr. Watson, the music teacher and told everybody that there was a lot of talent lined up for tonight before he announced the first act. Riley wouldn't be up until the third or fourth act, and with every performance Jane felt more and more nervous.

There were a few young girls singing Ed Sheeran songs which they clearly didn't understand, followed by a small band that played rather well and a boy who played an interesting guitar solo.

When Mr. Watson announced the next act, Jane felt Maura's hand grabbing her own and squeezing hard. "The next performer is a very talented young lady who just recently joined our school. I'm very pleased to announce, Riley Rizzoli-Isles."

Maura's hand kept squeezing Jane's and they didn't even clap. Lizzie sat up straight in Jane's lap as Jane straightened her own back in anticipation. They watched Riley walking up on the stage, looking absolutely stunning, spotlights lighting up her dress and beautiful face. She sat down behind the large piano and adjusted the microphone.

"I uhm…" Riley's voice was shaking and Jane held her breath, possibly breaking Maura's bones as she squeezed her hand. "I'm going to be performing Feels Like Home, originally by Randy Newman, and I want to dedicate it to my moms."

Jane heard Maura gasping next to her and felt tears burning in her eyes as Riley continued. "Because they... they gave me a home and more than I could ever wish for."

They heard Riley taking a deep breath as she wiped her hands on her dress before placing them on the keys of the piano. She played the first cord and immediately hit a wrong note, causing her to close her eyes and shake her head.

"Recover and continue..." Maura whispered breathless next to Jane.

Riley opened her eyes again and did just as Maura said. She recovered and continued, this time playing the right cord. Jane slowly released her breath as she heard the intro Riley was playing. She had never heard this before.

After a few moments, Riley took a breath and sang the fist line of the song, leaving both Jane and Maura speechless and breathless in their seats. Neither Jane nor Maura had ever heard their daughter sing before and were absolutely stunned by the sound of her light, yet slightly hoarse voice.

Jane didn't notice she was holding her breath until she felt slightly dizzy during the second verse. She released it slowly and rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head, her fingers still laced with Maura's. She listened to her daughter's voice and the words she was singing, and she couldn't stop the tears that fell down her cheeks.

The entire auditorium was completely silent and listened intently to their daughter's music. Jane couldn't believe she didn't know Riley could sing. It reminded her of the fact that they adopted her when she was already fourteen. She had missed out on so much of Riley's life already, and even though they knew Riley in and out, there were still a lot of parts of the girl left to discover. It only made Jane love her even more.

The melody slowed down and Riley changed it, her voice lighter and an octave higher, which was just as beautiful if not more beautiful. Jane felt Maura squeezing her hand the entire time and heard the blonde sniffling next to her. When Riley finished, she sang the last line again and held the last note, but broke it off when her voice started shaking, cut off by tears. She played the last note and the crowd broke out into loud applause. Her mothers didn't participate.

Maura looked at Jane and wiped the tears that were streaming down her face before she leaned over to capture her wife's lips in a loving kiss. She laughed through her tears and Jane kissed that beautiful laugh before turning her attention towards Riley on the stage, watching her daughter standing up from the piano stool to make a classy bow to thank the audience before quickly walking off the stage. Jane cheered for her daughter and heard Lizzie clapping loudly, bouncing in her mother's lap.

Mr. Watson came back on stage to announce the next performance, but neither of them listened. Jane grabbed Maura's hand again and gave it a loving squeeze. "That's our daughter," she whispered.

"Yes, she is." Maura smiled as her tears kept on falling, happiness and pride showing in her hazel eyes.

"Mama?" Lizzie whispered, slightly turning to look at Jane. "What was Riley singing 'bout?"

Jane smiled and smoothed Lizzie's blonde curls. "She was singing about how she feels like she's finally home, like she's finally where she belongs. She feels at home in our hugs and our home."

Lizzie furrowed her brow and looked confused, turning to Maura for an explanation. "But you hugged her now and we're not home."

"No honey, but she feels like she is." Maura explained with a smile, wiping the last of her tears as she raised her voice to make herself audible through the music. "You know when Mama or I hug you and you like that?"

Lizzie nodded, confirming Maura's words. "That's what Riley feels too."

"'Cause you're soft and strong?" Lizzie asked, still not fully understanding everything, which always frustrated her.

Maura chuckled and brushed her daughter's curls back. "Yes, exactly."

Lizzie nodded and seemed satisfied with the explanation as she leaned back into Jane's arms, focusing back on the stage again where two boys were playing guitar. Jane looked at her wife and saw that Maura wasn't paying any attention to the performance. The corners of Maura's mouth were curled up in a loving smile as she stared at the stage without really seeing what was going on. Jane couldn't help herself and leaned over to kiss the side of the blonde's mouth, eliciting a beautiful smile from the doctor.

The evening lasted way too long for the women. They just wanted to get it over with and have their oldest daughter back in their arms to compliment her, thank her and shower her with love and pride. Lizzie was getting fuzzy in Jane's lap, eventually getting bored with just Stevie to occupy her. Jane tried to keep her quiet with jokes and playful tickles ever now and then, which kept her rather easy for the rest of the night. It was late and the evening lasted long and maybe it wasn't the best idea to bring a five-year old, but the women wouldn't have her miss it for the world.

Finally the last performance ended and Jane took Lizzie's hand to leave the auditorium and go look for Riley, Maura following closely. It was crowded and the pace was slow due to the large amount of people, which made Lizzie very uncomfortable.

"Mama!" Lizzie squeezed Jane's hand and reached up her free arm with Stevie, her eyes wide with fear and uneasiness.

Jane smiled and lifted Lizzie off her feet to carry her in her arms, feeling Lizzie's arms wrapping around her neck as she adjusted the girl to her hip. Maura grabbed Jane's arm and squeezed lovingly as she smiled up at Lizzie. "Are you okay, baby?"

Lizzie nodded and put her thumb in her mouth, clearly exhausted because it was already past 10pm. She rested her head in the crook of Jane's neck and relaxed as she snuggled close while the women walked out of the auditorium, still looking for their oldest daughter.

After a few more minutes, Maura squeezed Jane's arm and pointed to the right. "There she is."

Riley was accepting a cheerful hug from Sarah, who squeezed her close with a bright smile. When Riley saw her family, she thanked Sarah, said goodbye and practically ran towards them and fell into Maura's open arms, wrapping her own skinny arms around her mother's waist. "Was it good?"

"It was more than good, my love," Maura replied with a bright smile. "You were absolutely fantastic and I'm so incredibly proud of you."

Jane smiled and readjusted Lizzie on her hip to kiss the back of Riley's head that rested on Maura's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, baby. You were amazing."

Riley smiled gratefully and didn't move from Maura's arms. They kept the embrace for a long time as Maura kept whispering quiet words of pride and love while she rubbed her daughter's back. The auditorium was nearly empty as Maura let her daughter go after kissing Riley's forehead.

Jane smiled and put Lizzie on the ground, who immediately grabbed Maura's hand, her thumb still in her mouth while she kept Stevie securely under her other arm. Jane cupped Riley's cheeks and looked into clear blue eyes that showed love and relief. "I love you so much, baby."

Riley chuckled and threw her arms around Jane's neck, standing on her toes to hug her mother. "I love you too, Ma."

Jane smiled at the feeling of her daughter's skinny form hugging her close while she kissed the girl's head. After a few moments, Riley untangled herself from Jane to turn to Lizzie. "Did you like it, Liz?"

Lizzie nodded frantically as she looked up at her sister. "Yeah! You're the best, Riley!"

"Thanks." Riley grinned and smoothed her dress, looking a little insecure and quite exhausted.

"We should go home," Maura said with a sweet smile. "It's bedtime for this little baby here." She reached down to pick Lizzie up and kissed her blonde curls.

"I'm not a little baby." Lizzie pouted at her mother.

"You're my little baby." Maura tickled Lizzie's side and pressed her lips against the girl's temple, closing her eyes as she inhaled her daughter's lovely scent.

"Riley Rizzoli-Isles?" A man with rather long brown hair and an artistic look came walking towards the little family.

"Yes?" Riley turned to him, looking surprised and a little uncomfortable.

"I'm James Corbett, I'm a teacher at Bristol Hillman music conservatory." He shook Riley's hand and smiled politely.

"Nice to meet you." Riley said softly with a nervous smile.

"I assume this is your family?" He looked at Jane and Maura and politely shook Jane's hand before doing the same with Maura.

"Yes, these are my moms and that's my sister Lizzie."

"It's nice to meet you." James smiled at Lizzie who shyly hid her face in the crook of Maura's neck, eliciting a loving chuckle from the doctor.

"She's not usually this shy, she's quite tired," Maura replied as she rubbed Lizzie's back.

James shrugged. "I understand, I'm a scary man."

Riley laughed at James' words, causing the man to shift his attention back to her. "I don't know if you're familiar with Bristol Hillman?"

"Not really," Riley answered as she fumbled with her dress. "I mean, I've heard of it, but that's pretty much it. Isn't it in L.A.?"

"Yes, it is. The Bristol Hillman music conservatory offers a music program to talented high school students. I'd like to offer you a spot in our summer program."

"Oh wow… I… Wow…" Riley stumbled with a surprised smile. "Really?"

"Yes. Applications are already closed, but there's always room for a talent like yours." James smiled and seemed genuinely impressed by Riley's performance.

"What does this summer program mean?" Jane asked, wanting to test the waters for a bit before she got excited.

"It's a program of six weeks, a time in which Riley will be taught by the best teachers in the country. She'll be expanding her talent with singing lessons and piano lessons and it will open a lot of doors, give her a lot of great opportunities in the future. Plus, there's a change to win a scholarship at the end of the program." James spoke in a professional tone, clearly trying to convince Riley and her mothers.

"Six weeks? In L.A.?" Jane asked, feeling skeptical about the whole thing.

James nodded and adjusted his shoulder bag. "Yeah. I have a few flyers here, which have all the information you'll need, and an application form. If you decide to follow the program, you'll just have to fill these out, have them signed by a legal guardian and you'll be welcome to spend the summer with us."

Jane looked at her daughter and tried to read Riley's expression, but she couldn't. Riley's expression was blank and she just looked nervous. "Thanks." She smiled politely and took the application form from the man. "I'll think about it."

"Please do." James smiled and closed his bag. "I'd love to work with that great talent of yours," he pointed at Riley and stepped back, "I hope to see you this summer, Riley!"

"Thank you." Riley smiled and watched the man walk away before turning back to her mothers.

"That's amazing, honey." Maura smiled and brushed Riley's hair back, Lizzie still securely on her hip.

Riley nodded and smiled, but Jane saw nervousness and discomfort in the smile. "Yeah, it is."

"There's time to think about it." Jane smiled and took Riley's arm to lead them outside, noticing how Lizzie's eyes were almost shut already. "Let's go home so your sister can be put to bed."

Lizzie fell asleep on the ride home and as Maura parked the car in the garage, Jane carefully took the sleeping girl out of her seat and lifted her in her arms. She carried her upstairs while Riley and Maura stayed downstairs, probably making some tea. Jane laid her youngest daughter in bed and carefully took of Lizzie's shoes and jeans before covering her with blanket and kissing her forehead.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and gently caressed her messy curls. "You don't want Riley to go to L.A. for six weeks either, do you?" Jane whispered, not audible to the girl who was sleeping peacefully. "There's no way I can survive six weeks without that girl." Jane sighed and stared at the wall. "But it's a great opportunity for her and I'm not taking that from her. So I'll just have to pull myself together and keep myself busy with you this summer." She smiled at the sight of her beautiful sleeping daughter and kissed Lizzie's forehead a last time before getting up and walking downstairs.

Riley had taken off her shoes and sat on top of the kitchen counter as Maura leaned back against the counter opposite her. "But what about our trip to Florida?" Riley asked, fumbling with a glass of orange juice.

"The program starts in the third week of summer, so you'll be able to come with us," Maura answered, taking a sip of her wine.

Jane walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge before standing next to her beautiful wife. "How are you feeling about this, honey?"

Riley shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's a great opportunity and it's kinda cool that he thinks I'm good enough."

"You _are _good enough." Jane smiled proudly.

Riley hummed and drank her juice in silence for a moment. "Six weeks is a long time…"

"Yeah." Jane smiled and stepped towards her daughter, smoothing her brown hair as she stood next to her, resting her hand on Riley's leg.

"I don't even know if I want to do something with music."

"You don't have to, honey." Maura smiled soothingly.

"But what if this is what I'm meant to do? What if I never get this opportunity again and I'll regret it in the future?"

"That's a possibility," Maura answered truthfully.

Riley sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead before putting her empty glass down next to her. "I don't know if I can be so far away for so long," she whispered.

Jane smiled and reached up to press her lips against Riley's temple. "I know you're strong enough for that," she whispered even though she didn't want Riley leaving them for six weeks. Just the thought of her baby girl alone at some music school in L.A. made Jane's throat close up with nerves and concern.

Riley shook her head before looking at Jane with a slight smile. "I don't know."

"You have time to think about it, you don't have to decide anything right now." Jane smiled and squeezed her daughter's leg.

"Just sleep on it for a night, sweetheart." Maura placed her hands on Riley's waist and pulled her down from the kitchen counter to wrap her arms around the girl. "Don't worry about it right now, all you have to do now is be proud of yourself and enjoy the afterglow of your fantastic performance."

Riley smiled and nodded before resting her head on Maura's chest. "Okay," she replied softly. She pulled back slightly and turned to lean into Maura's side, looking at Jane against the kitchen counter. "I did mean it tonight."

"What?" Jane asked sweetly, genuinely confused.

"The song." Riley blushed and looked down, leaning further into her mother's side. "I picked it for you two 'cause you've done so much for me and there's no way I can ever thank you."

"You don't need to thank us, my love," Maura whispered as she kissed her daughter's temple.

"But my life would've been so different if you didn't take me in last year," Riley said softly, looking down at her feet.

"Our lives too." Jane walked towards her daughter and cupped the girl's cheek to kiss her forehead. "You made everything better."

Riley smiled and accepted a warm hug from the brunette. She hid her face into Jane's shoulder and wrapped her skinny arms around her mother. "So did you and Mom," Riley mumbled.

"As much as I'd like to keep hugging you for the rest of the night, I think you really should go to bed." Maura smiled and kissed the back of Riley's head.

Riley nodded and untangled herself from Jane. "Thanks for coming tonight."

"Are you kidding?" Jane chuckled. "We wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Riley laughed, and reached up to kiss Maura's cheek. "Good night, Mom." She turned to Jane and did the same before walking upstairs towards her bedroom.

Jane sighed and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, leaning forward to kiss her wife's neck. "I don't want her to do that thing in L.A.," Jane whispered.

"It's her choice. I don't like it either, but I do think she's strong enough to handle it."

"I know, I think so too." Jane pulled back and smiled slightly at her wife. "But I don't know if I am strong enough to leave my baby girl in L.A. for six weeks."

"Honestly… I hate the thought of Riley in L.A." Maura chuckled and Jane saw that she was restraining herself from telling her all the facts about crime rates and safety in Los Angeles. "Let's just see what her choice is first." Maura smiled and brushed her wife's hair back before softly kissing her lips.

Jane nodded and deepened the kiss, feeling butterflies tickling in her stomach at the wonderful taste of her wife. They kissed for a long time, soaking in their endless love, still beaming with pride over their daughter's performance and infinite love for each other, both their daughters and their wonderful family. Jane loved every part of it with all she had and more. Life was starting to look damn near perfect.

_Feels Like Home: _

_A window breaks, down a long, dark street_

_And a siren wails in the night_

_But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me_

_And I can almost see, through the dark there is light_

_If you knew how lonely my life has been_

_And how long I've been so alone_

_And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along_

_And change my life the way you've done_

_It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me_

_It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from_

_It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me_

_It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong_

_Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me_

_And how long I've waited for your touch_

_And if you knew how happy you are making me_

_I never thought that I'd love anyone so much_

_It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me_


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"Mommy? When are we going to the vacation?" Lizzie asked while she was eating an apple that Maura had cut up into smaller pieces.

"In two days, honey," Maura answered before taking a bite of her own apple and turning her attention back to her laptop again. She was finishing off the last of the paperwork for a case that they just wrapped up, making sure everything was settled before they left for their trip to Florida.

"When's that?" Lizzie asked, looking confused.

"Friday. It's two more nights. Riley has school until Friday."

Lizzie nodded and grabbed another piece of her apple and threw it in her mouth, satisfied with her mother's answer. "Is Riley gonna go away?"

"What do you mean, honey?" Maura was getting slightly frustrated by her daughter's endless questions and tried to stay calm. She truly needed to finish this and she'd rather be in the office where she could work without getting interrupted, but Jane had an unexpected suspect coming in so Maura had to stay home with Lizzie, not wanting to take a five-year old into her office next to the autopsy room.

"She said she's gonna go to school in the vacation." Lizzie said with her mouth full of apple.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, please. And no, Riley will stay with us during summer vacation." Maura smiled at her youngest daughter when she remembered their conversation about the offer Riley had received after her performance.

"_Mom? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Riley's stood in the doorway of Maura's office, looking quite insecure. It was the day after Riley's performance and they hadn't spoken about the offer from Bristol Hillman since. _

"_Of course, baby." Maura smiled and invited her daughter in, finishing the sentence she was typing before closing her laptop and looking at the insecure teen in front of her desk. _

"_About that music school…" Riley sighed and fumbled with the hem of her T-shirt. "I don't know if I want to be in music." _

"_What do you mean by that?" _

"_I mean… Do you have to do something just because you're good at it?" _

"_No." Maura stood up from her chair and sat on the couch in her office, patting the spot next to her to invite Riley to sit down. "But in general, people enjoy doing things they're skilled at." _

"_I do enjoy playing the piano." Riley smiled and sat next to her mother, facing her but avoiding eye contact. "But… I don't know if I want to do it for six weeks straight and get lessons and all that. And… I… I don't know… Six weeks is a very long time and… L.A. is really far away." _

_Maura sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear. "That's the real reason, isn't it?" Maura whispered with a loving smile. _

_Riley nodded and Maura saw tears shimmering in her blue eyes. "What if I'm all the way on the other side of the country and I… something happens?" Riley's voice was a weak, soft whisper and she looked tiny and vulnerable. The girl was fifteen but in her heart she was a small girl who needed her mothers. Every now and then she still slept in her mothers' bed after a nightmare, sometimes she broke into tears at random moments and needed to bury herself in her mothers' arms, the endless pain of her past still hurting her. _

"_I don't think I want to go," Riley whispered, finally meeting Maura's gaze. _

"_You don't have to go." Maura smiled and was a little relieved to hear her daughter's words. She didn't want Riley to go anyway, but she wanted to hear the girl's opinion first. _

"_But I'm afraid I'll regret it later. I don't think I'll ever get this opportunity again." _

"_Maybe not." Maura shrugged and smiled while she gently stroked her daughter's cheek for a moment. "But there will be other opportunities. Maybe not the same one, but there will be others." _

"_Do you think I should go?" Riley looked at her mother with a childlike sincerity, truly in need of advice. _

_Maura sighed and gently grabbed her daughter's arm, stroking her wrist with her thumb. "I agree that this is a great opportunity for you. However, I don't like the idea of you being in Los Angeles for six long weeks."_

"_Why not?"_

"_L.A. is a big city and the crime rates are quite disturbing. The reported robbery crimes are 196.5 per 100,000 citizens and there are more homicides than in the rest of California." Maura rambled off her facts but stopped when she saw her daughter's expression that told her she wasn't finding any of this remotely interesting. "I just don't like the idea of my baby-girl being 3000 miles away from me all summer. I don't like the idea of you waking up alone after a nightmare, the idea of not being able to hug you and not being able to take care of you."_

_Riley smiled at her mother's sincere tone and fumbled with her hands. "Do you think I'm strong enough to go?"_

"_Yes, I do." Maura answered quickly and truthfully. "I don't think it will be easy, not for you nor for your Ma and me, but I do think you're strong enough." _

"_Do you still think I'm strong enough if I don't go?" Riley's voice was soft and vulnerable and a single tear trickled down her cheek. _

"_Oh, my love," Maura enveloped her daughter in a tight hug and softly rocked them back and forth. "Of course I do." _

Maura smiled at the memory of that day last week. Jane had been incredibly relieved and didn't hide the fact that she strongly disliked the idea of her daughter spending the summer so far away from her mothers. Riley seemed content with her decision, but Maura saw that she was still restless every now and then.

"When's Mama coming home?" Lizzie moved to sit on her knees so she was taller.

"I don't know, sweetie. She's quite busy at work today." Maura smiled and closed her laptop after a deep sigh, knowing that she wasn't getting much more work done right now with a demanding five-year old opposite her.

"And Riley?"

"We'll be picking up Riley from school in a few minutes." Maura walked around the counter and placed a kiss on top of Lizzie's head. "Finish your apple, please."

Lizzie was in kindergarten and her summer break had started two weeks ago. She had been spending a lot of time with Angela so Jane and Maura could go to work, but neither of them liked to leave their daughter for long so they tried to work from home as much as possible. Lizzie loved the time alone with her mothers and planned all kinds of games and other play dates.

Two hours later, Riley and Lizzie were playing soccer in the backyard and Maura had finally been able to finish her paperwork. She closed her laptop and put it on the garden table in front of her before leaning back and looking at her daughters playing cheerfully in front of her. She smiled lovingly at the sight of her girls.

They were so different but got along famously. Riley was a typical protective older sister and Lizzie looked up to her and wanted to be just like her. Lizzie's blonde curls were jumping along with the girl and shining in the summer sun while Riley's brown hair was straight and tied up in a high ponytail. Lizzie wore shorts and a dirty T-shirt, something that looked awfully familiar on the girl. The five-year old couldn't keep a shirt clean for more than an hour.

Suddenly Riley stopped the ball and grabbed her phone from her back pocket. "Hold on, Liz."

"No, kick it back!" Lizzie whined, but Riley kept looking at her phone. "Mommy! Riley's not giving the ball back!"

"Oh, Riley's a little busy, my love." Maura smiled at her youngest daughter and opened her arms, happy to see Lizzie walking towards her and climbing into her lap. Maura kissed the girl's blonde curls and pulled her close.

"Oh my gosh," Riley said softly, still reading something on her phone.

"What is it, baby?" Maura asked, resting her chin on top of Lizzie's head when she felt the girl leaning back into the doctor's front.

"Oh my gosh!" Riley squealed and ran towards Maura, handing her mother her phone. "Mom, read this!"

Maura read the e-mail on Riley's phone and gasped. "Oh, my baby this is amazing!" James Corbett from the Bristol Hillman music conservatory sent Riley an e-mail, telling her that he was disappointed to hear her polite rejection, but that the invitation was still on for next year. If Riley decided to attend next summer, she was still welcome to do the summer program.

"Yeah, next year I'll be sixteen and if I still want to go then, I can!" Riley smiled brightly and sat down next to her mother and sister. "Looks like life's giving me a break." Riley pulled her shoulders up and smiled sweetly.

Maura laughed and brushed her daughter's hair back. "Yes, a much deserved one."

"Why's you so happy?" Lizzie asked, turning her head to look up at her mother, always frustrated if she didn't understand what was going on.

"Because Riley received a nice e-mail from the school she can go to next summer." Maura smiled and smoothed Lizzie's messy curls that were getting a bit too long. She gently grabbed Riley's wrist and took the hair tie that was wrapped around it before she started working on a ponytail for Lizzie.

"But Riley's not going to school in the vacation?"

"No, not this year." Riley answered before standing up from the garden bench to get the soccer ball. "But maybe next year."

Maura finished the ponytail and kissed the top of Lizzie's head, pulling her close for a second before the girl squirmed off her lap to kick the ball back to her sister. "You can't go to school in the summer vacay, Riley!" Lizzie called after kicking the ball in the wrong direction.

"Why's that?" Riley asked with a slight chuckle, running after the ball.

"'Cause it's summer! We're gonna make castles and play!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere this summer."

Maura smiled as she watched her daughters play in the backyard, feeling the sun on her face as she enjoyed a light summer breeze. Boston could get excruciating hot during the summers and Maura was grateful for the past few days, which had been incredibly beautiful. They would be going to Florida before Boston could get too hot, to enjoy the always present breeze and ocean-air on the beach.

"Hey, gorgeous." Jane's husky voice snapped Maura out of her thoughts and she turned her head to see her wife walking into the backyard.

"Hi, love." Maura smiled brightly and reached her arm up to cup Jane's cheek, bringing her down to capture her lips in a loving kiss.

Jane hummed into the kiss and broke it to sit next to her wife, watching their daughters kicking the soccer ball back and forth. Maura however had turned her attention towards her wife and admired the beauty sitting next to her in the summer sun. "You look tired, babe," Maura whispered as she brushed a strand of hair back that had fallen out of Jane's ponytail.

Jane smiled at the blonde sitting next to her and grabbed her hand, gently lacing their fingers together. "I am. Tough case."

Maura sighed and pressed her lips against Jane's temple before looking back at her girls. They had been working on a heartbreaking case that involved a murdered teenage boy and an eight-year old girl getting tortured in horrible ways. The girl escaped and ended up at BPD while the team searched for her missing father. The father had been found a few days ago, but the suspect was nowhere to be found. "I know." Maura placed her hand on her wife's leg and rubbed it soothingly.

"I hate cases that involve children," Jane said softly, not turning her attention away from her children who hadn't noticed their mother had come home. "Every time I looked at his picture, I saw Riley's face."

Maura sighed and looked at her wife with sympathetic eyes. "So did I," she whispered quietly. "But then I came home to our beautiful daughters, who are both alive and well and I'm a thousand times more grateful."

That made Jane turn her gaze away from the girls and look at her wife next to her, her lips curled up in a loving smile. "Yeah." She sighed and leaned back, wrapping her arm around Maura's shoulders as the doctor rested her head on Jane's shoulder. "I can't wait to take our family to Florida," Jane said with a smile and a look up at the clear blue sky.

"Hmm, me neither." Maura smiled and placed a sweet kiss on Jane's neck. "They're going to have so much fun on the beach. And so are we." Maura moved and turned her body towards her wife, giving her a seductive look. "I'm looking forward to you in a bikini, swimming in the ocean, drying in the sun afterwards…"

Jane chuckled and pressed her lips against Maura's in a desperate, loving kiss that deepened rather quickly. They kissed for a few minutes, but a screaming five-year old harshly interrupted their moment. "Mamaaa!"

Lizzie had noticed Jane and came running towards the two women with a bright smile on her face. She immediately climbed into Jane's lap and wrapped her small arms around Jane's neck. Maura smiled at the sight. Lizzie and Jane were inseparable; they shared the same deep connection that Maura and Riley shared right from the beginning and Maura loved to witness it.

"Hey kiddo." Jane smiled and kissed Lizzie's forehead. "How was your day?"

"Good! I played the four reds game with Mommy and Mommy losed!"

"Mommy _lost_, honey," Maura corrected the girl with a sweet smile. "And yes I did, because you are just too good at Connect Four."

"How come you never let me win?" Jane asked, turning to her wife next to her.

"Because even though you act like it sometimes, you're not five years old." Maura smiled and kissed Jane's lips before caressing Lizzie's curls and getting up. She looked at Riley who was still lazily kicking the ball around, seeming lost in thought. "Riley, love? Would you like to help me prepare dinner?"

Riley snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. "Sure." She walked towards Maura who was standing by the door, and Maura noticed how her shoulders were dropped low and her face looked worried.

Maura smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear before guiding her inside, towards the kitchen. "Are you okay, baby?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Maura grabbed a few peppers from the fridge and handed them to Riley. "Are you really?"

Riley sighed and got out a plate and a knife to cut up the vegetables she took from her mother. "It's nothing."

"Riley…" Maura kissed Riley's temple and pulled her close for a second.

Riley nodded and looked down. "I'm just a little nervous."

"For what?"

"School."

"There's only one more day left." Maura brushed her daughter's hair back on her way to the kitchen cabinet where she grabbed a bowl. "Any special events happening tomorrow?"

"Not really. We get our grades for a few classes." Riley sighed and put down her knife to scratch her head. "I just hope I'll pass."

"You will, honey."

"I don't know, Mom." Riley looked insecure and dropped the cut up pepper in the bowl. "I did pretty bad at my last math assignment."

"Even if you fail, you can take the class again next year, can't you?"

"Yeah."

"So, what's the problem?"

Riley dropped her head and stopped her movements. "I don't want to disappoint you," she whispered quietly.

"Honey," Maura said softly as she stepped towards her daughter, "we've talked about this. You can never disappoint us. I don't care if you fail a class. I know you worked hard and tried your absolute best, that's what matters the most."

"But…"

"There's no but to that," Maura interrupted her with a sweet smile. "Now, if you didn't work hard and didn't care about your homework and all that, yes, then I would've been upset with you. But I know that's not the case. I know how hard you've worked and how much time you put into it, even though you find it incredibly difficult."

Riley nodded and confirmed Maura's words. Maura couldn't even count the many hours she spent explaining math problems, going over the same subject over and over again until Riley finally understood, but it just wasn't her strong point.

"Come here, my love," Maura said softly as she opened her arms for her daughter, grateful to see Riley accepting the embrace. "There's no need to be nervous, honey. You can never disappoint us and we love you no matter what."

Riley nodded and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, relaxing as her head rested on her mother's chest. "Thanks," she whispered barely audible. "Love you."

"I love you too, my baby." Maura kissed the top of Riley's head and gently rocked them back and forth, the preparations for dinner long forgotten. "I love you so much, you have no idea."

Suddenly Jane barged into the kitchen with Lizzie on her back, the girl giggling loudly. "Look at this, Liz." Jane smirked and put Lizzie down on the kitchen counter. "We're thinking Mommy and Riley are making dinner and they're just hugging in the kitchen!"

"Yeah!" Lizzie agreed with her mother after a loud giggle.

"Oh, hush." Maura laughed and untangled herself from Riley to tickle Lizzie's stomach. Lizzie squirmed and giggled loudly, almost falling off the counter top. Maura quickly hooked her hands under Lizzie's arms and lifted her off the counter while she moved the small kids' stool so Lizzie could reach the sink and wash her hands. "Go wash up, please."

The little family had dinner outside in the backyard and Maura immensely enjoyed the company of her little girls, the cheerfulness of Lizzie combined with the love and funny jokes of Riley, all aligned with the ever loving presence of her wife. Maura knew that even though life seemed perfect and everything seemed to be going very well, both Riley and Lizzie were carrying a lot of pain and grief. Their girls carried too much pain for a five- and fifteen-year old but Maura knew Jane and herself were more than ready to catch their daughters whenever they fell down. They had more than enough love to heal them when they break, to put them back together when they fall apart and enough affection to hug them for the rest of their lives. Perfection doesn't exist, but in Maura Isles' opinion, her daughters came pretty close.


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Jane sat on the couch with Riley in her arms, soothingly rubbing her daughter's back as the girl cried uncontrollably. She had finished her last day of school an hour ago and just confessed that she failed math this year, which she took incredibly hard.

Failure was something Riley would never get used to. In the past, whenever she failed at anything, it was rewarded by physical and mental abuse and that caused a great, unresolvable fear in the girl. It didn't matter how many times Jane and Maura told her she could never disappoint her mothers and that no failure, no matter how big or small, could ever affect their love for their daughter. Riley would always be immensely afraid to fail.

"It doesn't matter, honey," Jane whispered for the hundredth time. "It's okay. You've worked so hard, you'll take the same class again next year and then you'll pass."

Riley sniffled and sobbed loudly, clutching to Jane's T-shirt in a desperate way. "I'm- I'm- sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry, Riley." Jane cupped her daughter's face and pulled her away to look at the girl, softly wiping her tears with her thumbs. "We love you so much, you don't have to be afraid anymore. You don't have to be afraid to fail. It's okay to fail, you need to fail every now and then."

Riley shook her head as tears kept streaming down her face. Her breath hitched in her throat and she leaned forward to bury her face in Jane's chest again. Jane wrapped her strong arms around her daughter and pulled her as close as humanly possible as she leaned against the back of the couch. "I know this is difficult for you," Jane whispered after placing a kiss on top of Riley's head. "But you have to know that it's not the same anymore. We're here for you and we always will be. We will never be mad at you for failing after trying."

Riley cried for what felt like hours and Jane wished Maura would come home. Maura had always been better at comforting Riley. She always knew exactly what to say and Riley confided in her completely. She confided in Jane as well, but Jane wasn't as good with words as her wife and she felt sorry for it. Unfortunately, Maura had been called into work to take care of an emergency at the crime lab before she went on vacation and Dr. Pike took over. Lizzie was currently playing in the backyard and felt that Riley needed some time alone with Jane to talk, so she played quietly and left them alone.

"My dad used to get _so _mad when I messed up," Riley whispered barely audible. "He made me feel so useless and worthless."

Jane felt tears burning in her eyes and rubbed Riley's back, placing sweet kisses on her daughter's head. "Baby," she whispered.

"I think that was even worse than when he hit me and burned me. His words were way worse. He used to tell me I was stupid, and dumb and ugly and that I would be a failure for the rest of my life. I don't think he meant it, I don't even think he knew what he was saying 'cause he was always drunk and high on whatever drugs he was taking at the time. But… But it still…" A loud sob interrupted Riley's words and she tucked her feet up on the couch, her tiny body curling up in Jane's arms.

"It still hurt," Jane finished softly for her daughter.

Riley nodded and wiped her cheeks with one hand while the other kept clutching Jane's shirt. "Every word he said was like someone kicked me in my stomach… And… And I believed him." Riley's voice was weak and vulnerable. She didn't talk about her past as often as she used to, but whenever she did it broke her mothers' heart every single time.

"Do you still believe him?" Jane asked softly, slightly stunned by the seriousness of the mental abuse and the effect it had on Riley.

"Sometimes," Riley mumbled through her tears. "Every time you or Mom tells me you love me, I can't believe it somehow."

Jane smiled and gently rubbed her daughter's back as she kissed the top of Riley's head that rested on her chest. The words 'I love you' were used very often in the Rizzoli-Isles household and Jane was surprised to hear that it still meant so much to Riley. "It's true, honey."

"I know. I just can't believe it."

"Why not?"

Riley shrugged and fumbled with the hem of Jane's T-shirt. She took a deep breath and spoke in a soft whisper, a sentence that broke Jane's heart into a million pieces. "Because I don't think I'm worth loving."

Jane let out a soft whimper and felt her tears spilling onto her cheeks. "You are," she whispered through her tears. "If only you knew. If only you knew how much we love you. You are worth every single piece of our love, honey."

"He told me no one would ever love a stupid kid like me," Riley whispered. "He said love is for dumb, sentimental people and that love doesn't pay for anything." She sighed deeply and moved to hug her knees to her chest, leaning her entire body into Jane's side. "He told me I was a mistakes and that no one should love mistakes."

Jane cupped her daughter's face and pulled her off her chest to look deeply into her shimmering blue eyes. She smiled sadly and brushed the girl's hair back. "I think you already know what I'm gonna say and I know it won't make your memories go away, and it maybe won't change how you're feeling, but I'll keep telling you how much I love you until you fully believe it."

Riley sniffled and nodded, love and gratefulness showing in her expecting eyes. Jane smiled and pressed her lips against Riley's forehead before pulling back and looking into those beautiful eyes again. "Your father, he didn't know what he was talking about. He didn't know you. He had no idea how amazing you are. He's the one who's stupid for not loving you; he's the one who's useless for only caring about drugs and not seeing how lucky he was to have you as his daughter. And now he's gone and he can never take back what he said to you."

"He's gone," Riley breathed out, still looking into Jane's eyes.

"Yeah, he's gone. He's dead, Riley. He's dead and so are his words." Jane kept wiping Riley's tears with her thumbs as she spoke. "Honey, we love you so much. I wish I could do it all over. I wish I could have taken you away from him, I wish I was the one to carry you and bring you into this world so that I was able to make you feel loved from the minute you were born, like you deserve."

Riley smiled and seemed to calm down, much to Jane's relief. "You're so amazing, Riley. You're worthy, you're sweet and you're so loved. I don't think you know how much your mom and I love you."

"I do," Riley whispered with a sad smile.

"We love you like you're our own, honey. You're _my _daughter. Not his. You're ours and no one is ever taking you away from us."

"I know." Riley smiled and wiped her cheeks before throwing her arms around Jane's neck and squeezing her close. "I know it's not true what he said. I just don't feel it sometimes."

Jane gratefully hugged her daughter back. "We'll help you feel it, I promise."

Riley nodded and rested her head in the crook of Jane's neck. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, sweet girl," Jane whispered with tears in her eyes. "I love you too."

After a few moments of silence, Lizzie came walking into the living room, looking a little shy and insecure. "Riley? Why you crying?"

Riley untangled herself from her mother and smiled down at her sister as she wiped the last of her tears. Jane brushed Riley's hair back and kissed the girl's temple before caressing Lizzie's messy curls. "Riley's sad because her daddy used to be mean to her."

"Why?" Lizzie asked with wide eyes while she climbed up on Jane's lap to look at her sister. Jane gratefully welcomed Lizzie in her lap and wrapped her arms around the girl's stomach, feeling Lizzie leaning sideways into the detective's front.

"I don't know why he was mean," Riley answered softly. "He was a bad man."

"Is your daddy died like mine too?"

Riley lowered her gaze and looked at her fumbling hands. "Yeah."

"Do you miss him too?"

"No, I don't." Riley smiled a sad smile and ruffled Lizzie's curls for a moment. "He was always mean to me. And I'm with Mommy and Mama now and they're much better."

Lizzie nodded, not fully understanding what Riley meant, but agreeing on the last part. "I like Mommy and Mama too," she said with a proud grin. "My old mommy didn't hug me like Mama and Mommy. Mommy's waaaaayy better at hugs!"

Jane chuckled and felt her heart bursting with love at the words of her youngest daughter. She pulled the girl close and kissed her messy blonde curls. "What about my hugs, Liz?" Jane asked playfully.

Lizzie straightened her back and looked at Jane with a stern look on her face. "Mommy's softer. And you tickle."

"Oh, as if you don't like that." Jane tickled Lizzie's stomach, eliciting squealing giggles from the girl.

"Stop, Mama!"

"Only if you tell me my hugs are better than Mommy's!"

Lizzie laughed loudly and fell on her back, squirming under Jane's hand as she giggled, her face turning red, her small hands trying to grip Jane's big ones. "Mama's hugs are best!" She squealed and panted when Jane stopped tickling.

"That's right." Jane pulled Lizzie back up and moved the girl back into her lap again.

"If Mommy's hugs are better, than how come you're always in Ma's lap?" Riley asked with a smile, her eyes finally drying.

Lizzie shrugged and leaned into Jane's arms. "Because."

"Oh yeah, great reason." Riley chuckled. "Mom's soft and Ma's strong. And together they're all we need, right, Liz?"

Lizzie nodded frantically even though she didn't understand the seriousness of Riley's words. Jane smiled lovingly and kissed the top of Lizzie's head before brushing Riley's hair back. "Thank you, sweetie," she whispered.

They stayed silent for a while before Lizzie stirred in Jane's arms. "Mama, what are we eating at dinner?"

"I don't know yet, kiddo," Jane smiled and looked into Lizzie's light brown eyes. "You have any ideas?"

Lizzie thought about that question for a second before bouncing up and down in Jane's lap. "Pizza and fries!"

"There's no way Mom's gonna allow that, Liz." Riley smiled and stood up from the couch to clear away her backpack.

Lizzie pouted and relaxed back in Jane's arms. "How about we have fries on the side?" Jane offered. "We'll boil some broccoli, prepare some oven-baked fries and maybe some chicken?"

"I don't like broccoli." Lizzie wrinkled her nose and looked up at her mother.

"Well," Jane groaned and lifted Lizzie off her lap to walk towards the kitchen, "that's too bad."

An hour later, the little family was preparing dinner, Lizzie sitting on top of the kitchen counter while Riley was cutting up the broccoli and Jane was preparing four pieces of chicken. After a while, the front door opened and Maura walked inside, wearing a stunning cotton dress that fit her figure perfectly while the skirt twirled around her toned legs. Jane smiled at the sight of her gorgeous wife and greeted her brightly. "Hello, doctor."

"Hello, detective," Maura said in a rather seductive tone before putting down her medical bag and walking towards the kitchen to capture Jane's lips in a loving kiss. "Did you have a good day?"

"Sort of." Jane gave her wife a reassuring smile and kissed Maura's lips before turning back to her chicken.

Maura hummed and kissed Riley's temple. "Sort of?" She brushed Riley's hair back and immediately noticed her daughter's red eyes and the red spots on her face. "You've been crying," she stated before stepping towards Lizzie to kiss the girl's forehead, greeting her youngest daughter with a sweet smile.

Riley sighed and didn't move her attention from the vegetables she was cutting. "I failed math."

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey." Maura grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. "You know it's no reason to be upset, don't you?" Maura sweetly tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear and looked over at Jane, who smiled at her to let her know that they'd talked about it already.

Riley nodded and shrugged. "Yeah, I just…" she looked at her mother and smiled shyly. "Turns out I don't take failure very well."

"Oh honey, you'll get better at it." Maura smiled and took a sip of water as she rubbed Riley's back while kicking off her heels.

"Better at failing?" Riley chuckled and dodged a playful slap from Maura.

"No, better at handling failure."

"Yeah, yeah." Riley continued her movements and Maura wrapped her arm around Jane's waist while she kissed the bottom of her jaw.

"I'm officially off for the next two weeks," the blonde whispered.

Jane hummed and dried her hands to wrap her arms around her wife. "So am I,' she replied in a husky voice. She leaned in to capture Maura's lips in a loving kiss and immediately felt the blonde deepening it by running her tongue along Jane's bottom lip. Jane moaned slightly into the kiss, eliciting giggles from their daughters.

"Ew, Mama's kissing Mommy!" Lizzie whispered loudly to Riley, who giggled in response.

Jane chuckled into Maura's mouth but didn't break the kiss, pretending not to hear the girls. Maura placed her hands on Jane's neck and smiled brightly, causing their teeth to clash together as they continued the kiss.

"Mommy and Mama kiss all the time," Riley whispered back.

"Why?"

"'Cause they're in love."

"What's that?"

Jane silently broke the kiss and felt Maura resting her forehead against her own, brushing her hair back as she looked into her eyes, waiting for Riley to answer.

"I'm not sure," Riley replied softly. "I've never been in love. But I think it means that Mama gets happy when Mom smiles and that they want to do anything to make each other smile."

Jane looked into Maura's familiar hazel eyes and saw her entire face lighting up with a bright smile, that beautiful smile that made the detective fall in love with this woman in the first place. Without knowing it, Riley had just perfectly described how it feels to be in love. That smile that was currently lighting up Maura's face… Jane would do anything to see that smile for the rest of her life.

"Mommy has a pretty smile," Lizzie said, trying to keep her voice in a whisper, but the girl had never been good at whispering.

Riley laughed softly and Jane heard the sound of pieces of broccoli being dropped into a pan while the detective kept her eyes locked with Maura. "All smiles are pretty 'cause it shows that someone's happy," Riley answered.

Jane leaned forward to taste her wife's stunning smile again, closing her eyes and sighing at the feeling of Maura's familiar soft lips. Maura accepted it and smiled into the kiss but broke it after a few moments to turn her attention back to her daughters. "How's dinner coming along, my loves?"

"Good! I dropped the broccoli in the pans!" Lizzie pushed her chest forward and showed a proud grin, like she was the head chef.

"That's my girl," Maura said with a proud smile. "Can you help me wash it and add some water so we can boil it?"

"Yes!" Lizzie tried to jump off the counter but Jane caught her just in time, knowing that the distance was too high for the short five-year old.

"Be careful, you little daredevil." Jane smiled and put Lizzie on top of her blue stool so she could reach the sink. Lizzie loved to help cook dinner, but usually she got bored with it pretty quickly, which is why Jane was surprised to see she was still eager to help after more than fifteen minutes.

"I bet that broccoli's gonna taste amazing," Jane said while she helped Lizzie wash the broccoli.

"Nahhh." Lizzie shook her head and wrinkled her nose again.

"Yeah, if you made it, it's gonna taste amazing!" Jane tickled Lizzie's side, eliciting a squeal from the girl before she kissed her cheek.

"I didn't made the broccoli!" Lizzie protested. "The tree made the broccoli."

"Oh honey, broccoli doesn't grow on trees," Maura said with a smile, grabbing a pan for the chicken.

"But I didn't made it." Lizzie folded her arms in front of her chest and pouted.

"But it's still gonna taste good." Jane handed Lizzie a few plates from the cabinet. "Go put these on the table, please."

"Outside?" Lizzie smiled brightly, looking expectantly up at her mother.

Jane looked at Maura for approval and saw her nodding her head. "Yes, baby. Outside's fine. Be careful though!"

Maura smiled and looked at Lizzie who slowly walked outside, careful with four plates in her arms. She wrapped her arms around Jane's waist and leaned into her side as she placed a soft kiss on her wife's cheek. "I can't wait to take our beautiful girls to the beach tomorrow," she whispered.

Jane hummed and rested her cheek against Maura's temple while she watched Riley following Lizzie with a few forks and knifes in her hands. "Me neither." Jane turned to face her wife and brushed Maura's perfect curls over her shoulder. "All three of my beautiful girls."

_A/N Thank you all for reading this story and for your kind words. Please let me know what you think, your reviews mean a lot to me. Next chapter will be the family in Florida! _


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"I'm scared, Mommy," Lizzie said in a small voice as the Rizzoli-Isles family walked through the aisle of the airplane towards their seats, ready to take off towards the beach house in Florida.

Maura was holding Lizzie's hand and sat down in their seats, taking Lizzie in her lap. It was Lizzie's first time on a plane and she was quite scared, so Maura gladly took her youngest daughter into her lap before they took off, sitting next to Jane who took the seat by the aisle, and Riley who immediately took the window seat.

"There's no need to be scared, sweetheart." Maura smiled and pulled Lizzie close. "We're just going to fly for a little more than two and a half hours, and everything will be fine."

"What if it falls down?" Lizzie asked in a small voice.

"It's not gonna fall down, Liz," Jane replied as she winked at Riley who chuckled at Lizzie's question.

Lizzie nodded but didn't seem convinced. She turned sideways in Maura's arms, facing the window at Riley's side while she hid her face in Maura's chest. Maura rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head and smiled at Jane who leaned forward and softly kissed her lips.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart. Before you know it, we'll be at the beach and you can play soccer with Riley, and we're going to do fun things, swim in the ocean… You're going to have so much fun." Maura smiled and rocked her daughter back and forth.

"Is there gonna be other kids at the beach?" Lizzie asked as she sucked on her thumb, a habit that Maura actually wanted to break, but so far it hadn't worked. She gently grabbed Lizzie's wrist and pulled her hand down.

"Yes, I think there will be." Maura replied with a smile as she brushed Lizzie's hair back. "Our house is in a quiet place, but there will be other kids further on the beach."

Lizzie seemed to like that idea and relaxed a little more while they waited for the plane to air. Thankfully, the flight went by quickly and quietly. Lizzie didn't like it very much, but Riley kept her calm by talking about the amazing view and all the fun things they would be doing once they arrived. Maura had expected that Riley would've wanted to spend her entire summer with friends, but the girl was actually quite excited about the family vacation and Maura could tell she needed it. She needed some time to rest, to get away from everything and just have fun on the beach. She had worked incredibly hard the last few weeks in school and she was beyond exhausted. The past year had been excruciating for the fifteen-year old. She had started the school year four months late, so she already started with a lot to catch up on. That, along with the surgery had made the past year in school a rather difficult one.

The evening had already set when they arrived at the beach house, after a short drive from the airport. The sun was starting to set and Lizzie had been very tired, but she was currently running around on the beach, being chased by her older sister. A couple of girls were sitting on the beach a few yards away, they were about Riley's age and sitting on a towel, chatting happily as they glanced at Riley and Lizzie every now and then.

Maura stood in the doorway and saw her wife sitting on the front porch, watching them. "Would you like a drink, Jane?"

Jane snapped her attention away from her daughters and turned around to smile at Maura. She reached out her arm and wiggled her fingers. "C'mere," she said in that husky, sexy voice.

Maura happily accepted the invitation and sat down in front of Jane, in between her legs so that Maura's back was pressing against Jane's front. "Have I told you how much I love you today?" Maura whispered softly, her attention focused on Riley and Lizzie running on the beach.

"Yeah, a few times actually." Jane chuckled and pressed soft, wet kisses on Maura's neck. "But I won't ever get tired of hearing that."

Maura sighed at her wife's soft lips on her neck and relaxed back into the embrace, enjoying the feeling of her wife's strong arms wrapped around her stomach. "I love you, Jane," Maura whispered.

"I love you too," Jane replied as she nuzzled her face into the crook of Maura's neck, deeply inhaling her wife's scent. "I'm so lucky to love you." Jane continued placing wet kisses along Maura's neck, down to her shoulder and back up to the spot behind her ear.

Maura couldn't hold back a slight moan as Jane reached her weak spot. "Jane," she breathed out.

"Yes?"

"You're arousing me, Jane."

Maura felt Jane smirking against her and made no attempt to stop her trail of kisses. "I know," she whispered hoarsely.

"We have to put the girls to bed."

"Nah, we're on vacation."

"Lizzie will be cranky tomorrow, Jane." Maura smiled and reached back to tangle her fingers in Jane's curls, turning her head so she could capture her lips in a loving kiss. They kissed slowly and lazily for several minutes before they had to break apart when air became an issue. Maura smiled and pecked Jane's cheek before leaning back into her wife's front to look at their girls again. "Lizzie's growing," she said with a sentimental smile.

"Yeah, she better be. She's five and way too small."

"She's hardly way too small, Jane. She's a little short for her age, but nothing too far below average." Maura laced her fingers with Jane's on her stomach and sighed contently. "Riley on the other hand…"

"She's still too small, isn't she?" Jane asked softly.

"Yes. I'm fairly certain she'll be short for the rest of her life, but Jane… She desperately needs to put on weight." Maura sighed and watched her oldest daughter chasing her youngest, seeing Riley's skinny legs that only looked skinnier in her blue shorts, her bones showing through her tight t-shirt.

"But she eats normally, she even has more snacks than I'm allowed to have," Jane squeezed Maura's sides and kissed her head.

"Stress can cause severe weight loss."

"I'm worried about her," Jane said quietly, suddenly turning serious.

Maura turned around to look at her wife and cupped Jane's cheek, looking deeply into dark, brown eyes. "So am I," she whispered. "Let's just hope she'll be able to relax these next two weeks."

Jane nodded and Maura saw her worried expression turning to a seductive smirk. "I know a way for us to relax, though."

Maura laughed and kissed Jane's lips as she lightly smacked her arm. "You're incorrigible, Jane."

"Can't help it when my wife is this hot."

"Oh, stop it." Maura pinched Jane's legs and stood up, leaning down to kiss Jane's lips. She moved her lips towards Jane's ear and leaned her hands on her wife's thighs. "It really is time to put the girls to bed so I can have my way with you."

Jane shivered at Maura's words and smirked in anticipation. "Yeah, let's get them to bed before Lizzie gets cranky."

Maura laughed at her wife's eagerness and kissed her lips one last time before turning around and walking towards Lizzie and Riley. "It's time for bed, my babies."

"I'm not tired!" Lizzie immediately answered, a reply that has gotten awfully familiar whenever Jane or Maura told Lizzie she had to go to bed.

"You will be once you get into bed." Maura smiled and hooked her hands under Lizzie's arms to lift her up from the beach. She carried Lizzie on her hip and wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulders to kiss her temple. "You too, sweetheart."

"What? Since when is my bedtime the same as Lizzie's?" Riley protested.

"Since Lizzie's bedtime is after ten." Maura patted Riley's lower back, urging her to go inside while she put Lizzie back on the ground, seeing the girl immediately running off to Jane. "And mostly because it makes Lizzie go to bed more easily if you go at the same time."

Riley chuckled and slowly walked towards the house. She looked at the girls sitting on the beach and saw them giggling, covering their mouths as they glanced at Maura and Riley and their affection. Maura smiled and brushed a strand of hair back that had fallen out of Riley's ponytail as she walked along with her daughter. "Don't pay attention to them, honey. How are you feeling?"

Riley shrugged. "I'm fine, why?"

"No reason, I'm just a little worried about you."

"I'm fine."

Maura nodded and stopped her daughter a few feet before the house. She looked into Riley's eyes and kept her hand on the girl's upper arm. "You'll talk to us when you're not, right?"

"Yeah, Mom, what's going on?" Riley asked, turning to face her mother.

"Nothing, I just want to make sure you're okay." Maura smiled soothingly, but was surprised to see anger in Riley's eyes.

"Mom, I can take care of myself, okay?" Riley said, shrugging away from Maura's touch. "I'm fine."

"Okay, okay." Maura felt a hurtful sting in her chest at her daughter's rejection but decided to leave it for now. "Just know that we're here, alright? We just worry about you, that's all baby."

"I know!" Riley grunted and stepped onto the porch. "Gosh, Mom I'm fifteen! And stop calling me baby! I'm. Not. A. Baby!"

"Watch your tone, Riley," Maura said a little more sternly, hurt by her daughter's words.

"Sorry." Riley stepped inside and walked towards the bathroom, closing the door a little too hard.

Maura sighed and rubbed her forehead as she closes her eyes, not understanding why Riley was acting this way.

"Mommy!" Lizzie came running through the living room, halfway dressed in her pajamas. "Mama didn't bring the stories!"

Maura sighed and turned her attention towards her other daughter, her mind still occupied with Riley's behavior. "What stories, honey?"

"The bedtime stories!"

Maura smoothed Lizzie's hair and took her hand to lead her back to her bedroom. "Mama can tell you a different bedtime story, it doesn't have to be from the book." They found Jane making Lizzie's bed in the bedroom. The beach house had two main bedrooms and one smaller room with a bed for Lizzie.

"I tell amazing stories, Liz." Jane smiled but her smile fell when she saw the absentminded look on Maura's face. "You okay, babe?"

Maura snapped her attention towards Jane and smiled when she looked into deep brown eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Riley's acting strange, but I hope it'll blow over."

"Why?"

"I think it's because some girls were laughing at us?" Maura shrugged and helped Lizzie put her pajama shirt over her head. "I'm not sure, she says she's fine. I'll try to talk to her later."

Jane nodded and kissed Maura's lips before scooping Lizzie up from the floor and throwing her on the bed, eliciting loud giggles from the girl. "You're so much easier, I wish you could stay five for the rest of your life."

"Oh stop it, Jane." Maura smiled and sat on the edge of the bed to try and get Lizzie to calm down from jumping up and down on the bed. "We wouldn't want to have a five year old daughter for the rest of our lives. Besides," Maura grunted and pulled Lizzie down, forcing her to lie down, "Riley is much easier to put to bed."

Lizzie giggled when Maura tickled her stomach. "But yes, Lizzie's much less complicated sometimes." She smiled when she saw Lizzie finally calming down, relaxing as Maura rubbed her stomach. She leaned down and pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead. "And I still love you both with all my heart."

"Love you too, Mommy." Lizzie put her thumb into her mouth as she rolled onto her side. Jane grabbed the sheets from the closet and tucked Lizzie in, gently rubbing her back.

Lizzie closed her eyes and grabbed Maura's hand, holding on to her mother's thumb like a little baby. Maura smiled and felt tears in her eyes at the unknowingly sweet gesture.

"Okay," Jane sat down behind Maura since the bed was placed against the wall, and patted Lizzie's leg, "what should the story be about?"

Lizzie lowered her thumb and hummed in deep thought. "About… About the beach, and about monkeys."

"I don't think there are monkeys on the beach, Liz," Jane chuckled.

"It is in the stories!" Lizzie protested with a slight pout before moving her thumb back in her mouth.

"Alright," Jane smiled and started the story after a deep sigh.

Maura attempted to stand up, but Lizzie tucked on her hand, silently and unconsciously asking her mother to stay, which the doctor happily did. She listened to Jane's story about monkeys who built sand castles and the evil monkeys that destroyed the castle with a football, and how they fought and eventually built a new sand castle together, although Lizzie had already fallen asleep by the time the story ended.

"That was a beautiful story, Jane," Maura whispered as she quietly closed the door behind them, leaving Lizzie asleep in her room.

"Thanks. Monkeys are my specialty." Jane smirked and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, pulling her close as she kissed her lips. "You want to know something about my other specialties?"

Maura hummed and reached up to tangle her hands in Jane's curls. "I think I already know about those, Jane."

"Really?" Jane tilted her head. "My specialty to make you see stars?"

Maura laughed and pressed her lips against Jane's, moaning slightly as Jane's hands roamed along her sides and back. When they broke the kiss, Maura looked deeply into Jane's eyes and gently massaged her scalp. "I should talk to Riley."

"Are you sure?" Jane asked softly and carefully. "Maybe she needs some time alone."

"She never needs time alone," Maura replied quietly as she felt worry burning in her chest. "She needs us…"

"She's fifteen, maybe she's starting to… not need us as much anymore."

Maura sighed and buried her face in the crook of Jane's neck, feeling tears burning in her eyes. "I don't think I'm ready for that, Jane."

"I know," Jane whispered, squeezing the blonde close as the mood suddenly changed from flirty to serious.

"I think I kind of… need her to need me…" Maura placed a sweet kiss on Jane's neck and tightened her grip around it. "She's my baby girl."

"Yeah, but she's your teenage-baby girl." Jane chuckled and pulled back to look at her wife. "I know it's hard, 'cause we got her when she was already fourteen, but she's not a baby, Maur."

"I know that."

"Maybe she just needs some space."

Maura nodded and leaned forward to capture Jane's lips in a loving kiss. "You're probably right." She sighed and lowered her arms before turning around, walking towards the kitchen. "I can pour her something to drink, though, right?"

"Yeah, it's not like you have a restraining order." Jane laughed and pinched Maura's arm, eliciting a soft, high-pitched squeal.

"Don't make fun of me, I'm new to this!" Maura said with faked anger.

"So am I!"

"Yes, but you've had a much more traditional upbringing, Jane," Maura said, turning serious again.

"I don't think that makes a difference, babe."

Maura shrugged and finished pouring some juice for Riley. "Maybe not." She kissed her wife's lips before walking towards the other bedroom, expecting to find Riley there but the room was empty. She sighed and walked towards the bathroom, but found it empty as well. Eventually, she saw Riley sitting on the front porch with her back towards the house, her head resting against the pillar on the right.

"Riley," Maura said softly, announcing herself to prevent scaring the girl, "I brought you something to drink."

Riley didn't move. "Riley? Are y…" Maura bit her lip, not wanting to ask the question that upset her daughter in the first place. "Should I just put it right here?" She stepped forward and placed the glass next to Riley, taking a quick look at the girl's face to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Maura closed her eyes and sighed, wanting nothing more than to gather her daughter in her arms to hug away her pain, but she remembered her wife's words and restrained herself. Riley needed space.

"We'll be inside," Maura whispered before walking back inside, immediately falling into Jane's open arms. "I hate this," she mumbled through her tears.

"I know, me too." Jane rubbed Maura's back and kissed her blonde curls. "She'll turn around."

"I hope so."

An hour later, Riley had quietly gone to bed without saying goodnight, leaving Maura in tears in Jane's arms as they went to bed, their love-making plans long forgotten. After a short make-out session, Maura didn't want to take it further and Jane had fallen asleep rather quickly but Maura couldn't find the rest. She knew enough about childhood psychology to know that it was normal for teenagers to detach from their parents and rebel against them, but Riley was so different. Her recent behavior worried Maura and she couldn't get rid of the thought that this was just a temporary act and it wasn't what Riley was truly feeling.

Maura stayed awake, worrying for what felt like hours before she decided to give up and untangle herself from her wife and get out of bed, putting on a long-sleeved shirt over her short nightgown as she walked towards the kitchen to get something to drink. She took a sip of a glass of water and suddenly noticed the front door was slightly open. She curiously walked towards it and opened it further, seeing Riley sitting in the dark on the front porch in the same position she was a few hours ago.

"Honey…" Maura whispered, startling the girl.

Riley frantically wiped her cheeks and took a deep, shaky breath, glancing at her mother for a second before looking away. Maura sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Honey, I know I'm supposed to give you space and that you need time to yourself but I'm truly worried about you. I don't want to smother you and hover, and I don't want to upset you any further…" Maura rambled and lost her track of thought surprisingly quickly, nothing left of the genius medical examiner when worry about her baby girl took over. "You're my baby and I need you to need me, because I'm not ready for you to grow up and not need your moms anymore."

"I do need you," Riley mumbled, but Maura didn't hear it.

"I love you and I'm worried about you and I just wish you'd talk to us, even if it was just to tell me that you need us to leave you alone. I know you're not a baby and you're growing up…"

"I do need you!" Riley said a little louder, causing Maura to abruptly stop her confusing speech. "That's the problem," she added quietly.

Maura put her glass on the table and sat down next to her daughter, looking at the sky full of stars, breathing in the nightly summer air. "Why is that the problem?" she asked in a soft whisper, not wanting to push Riley.

"'Cause I'm fifteen. I'm not supposed to need my moms."

"That's not true, honey." Maura slowly reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear, and was grateful to see her accepting it.

"Yeah, it is." Riley looked at Maura and Maura saw a strange kind of determination and sadness in her blue eyes, but she couldn't read her expression very well in the dark.

"How come you think that, sweetheart?"

Riley shrugged and fumbled with her hands in her lap, her feet moving around the sand on the beach in front of the porch. "Aren't I supposed to be able to take care of myself and distance myself from my parents?"

"No," Maura replied determined.

"Isn't that what normal teenagers do, though?"

"Yes, they do." Maura sighed and hoped her words wouldn't hurt her daughter. "But honey, I'm sorry to say so but you're not a normal teenager."

"I should be!" Riley let out a silent sob and frantically wiped her cheeks, not wanting to show the tears that started to stream down.

"No, you shouldn't." Maura reached to rub Riley's back but the girl leaned against the pillar, away from her mother. Maura's heart broke at the rejection and she kept her hands in her lap. "Honey, you've been through so much. I'd be even more worried than I am if you were acting like a normal teenager. You're so much stronger than a normal teenager, so much more special and so much better."

"I'm not strong," Riley whispered, the defense in her attitude slowly disappearing. "I'm a fifteen year old girl that needs her mommies. That's pathetic."

"No," Maura's throat closed up with tears and she wiped one that made its way down her cheek. "No, my love."

"Yeah. Didn't you see those girls laughing at me?"

"Those girls have no idea who you are." Maura reached over and carefully wiped a tear from Riley's cheek, smiling when Riley didn't flinch. "It's not pathetic. It's strong. It's healthy, it's the way you cope with things."

"But Mom," Riley finally turned towards her mother and looked into her eyes, "I rejected an amazing opportunity to go to one of the best music schools in the country, just because I can't be away from you and Ma for longer than a few days." Riley choked on her last words and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "I'm fifteen and I sleep in my moms' bed when I have nightmares, I'm afraid to go to sleep in the dark and I need my mom to tuck me in at night! I mean…" Riley sighed and let her head fall into her hands. "What is wrong with me?"

"Oh, my love…" Maura couldn't resist any longer and shifted closer to her daughter, first wrapping one arm around Riley's shoulder but when she felt Riley leaning into her, she enveloped the girl's shaking body into a tight embrace. "There's nothing wrong with you. Absolutely nothing."

"I just want to be normal," Riley whispered weakly, finally surrendering to her mother's warm embrace and the tears and pain in her heart.

"Normal is terribly overrated," Maura said with a light shrug. She moved to cup Riley's cheeks and looked into pained blue eyes. "Honey, I'm very sorry but you'll always be different. You've been abused in terrible ways, for eleven years of your life. That doesn't go away. You're so strong for seeking comfort in our arms, _that's_ what you're supposed to do."

"But I'm fifteen," Riley mumbled as she leaned back in Maura's arms.

"Why do you think that matters?" Maura smiled and rocked her daughter back and forth. "It's very common and very healthy to seek physical comfort when you're in emotional distress."

Riley nodded and relaxed a little further, seeming to take comfort in Maura's soothing words. "It'll get better, honey," Maura said softly. "You shouldn't forget that you've only been with us for about a year. And even though we love you like you've been with us all your life, that's not a very long time."

Riley nodded and sighed, wrapping her cold fingers around Maura's arm that was wrapped sideways around the girl's chest. "You shouldn't forget that either."

"What?"

"That you've only been my mom for about ten months." Riley pulled back and wiped her cheeks, looking insecure and shy. "You don't have to worry about doing every single thing right."

"Honey…" Maura tilted her head and swallowed a lump in her throat.

"You and Ma are the best parents I could ever wish for," Riley said softly with a shy smile. She shrugged. "I just thought you should know that."

Maura let out a soft laugh and pressed her lips against Riley's forehead as she pulled her close, closing her eyes as she felt love overwhelming her. Riley had clearly heard parts of Maura's conversation with Jane, picking up on the doctor's insecurities on parenting the teenager. But all her doubt and insecurities were put to rest with Riley's innocent but truthful words. "I love you, sweetheart," Maura whispered.

Riley smiled and pulled her feet out of the sand, hugging her knees to her chest as she leaned into Maura's side. "Love you too," she mumbled, resting her head on Maura's shoulder, clearly exhausting seeing that it was almost 2am.

Maura kissed Riley's head and rested her cheek on top of it, looking at the ocean under the dark sky. "I love the beach at night," Maura whispered, breathing in the nightly ocean air.

"Me too," Riley replied with a smile in her voice, wiping the last of her tears. "It looks bigger. Like there's so much more space."

"Hmm," Maura pulled her daughter close and hummed contently. "It's quiet and peaceful."

They stayed silent for a long time, Riley's tears slowly drying as Maura held the girl closely in her arms, knowing that it was indeed not very common for a fifteen year old to want to spend that much time in her mothers' arms, but immensely enjoying the fact that she did. After a while, Maura noticed that Riley's breathing had slowed down and looked at her head that rested on the blonde's shoulder, seeing that Riley's eyes were closed.

"Don't fall asleep out here, love," Maura chuckled. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Riley groaned but allowed Maura to pull her up from the porch. They walked inside and stopped at the bottom of the stairs as Maura kissed her daughter's cheek and brushed her hair back. Riley's bedroom was down the hall while Jane and Maura slept upstairs next to the bathroom. Maura looked into Riley's eyes and saw that a content smile had replaced the pain she had seen in them half an hour ago. She caressed Riley's cheek for a second and smiled. "Good night, my love."

"Good night." Riley turned around to walk towards her bedroom but turned to look over her shoulder before Maura could walk up the stairs. "I love you, Mom."

Maura smiled at her daughter. "I love you too, Riley."


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Good morning, baby." Jane greeted Lizzie who walked onto the front porch where Jane was sitting in a chair, drinking a cup of coffee after her early morning run. She had just taken a shower and Maura and Riley were still sleeping. "Did you sleep well?"

Lizzie nodded and climbed into Jane's lap, her thumb in her mouth, her curls messier than ever. "Where's Mommy?"

"Still sleeping." Jane kissed Lizzie's head and relaxed in the reed chair on the porch, watching the morning sun shining brightly as a few people made their way down the beach in the distance.

Jane's hand rested on Lizzie's legs and she felt the girl tracing the back of her hand. "Mama?"

"Hmm?"

Lizzie pulled her thumb from her mouth and let her fingers explore the scar. "Why do you have lines on your hands?"

Jane sighed and watched her daughter slowly tracing her little fingers along Jane's scars. Anyone else would be swapped away, but her wife and daughters were allowed. "They're scars," Jane replied softly. "Someone hurt me very badly, but that was a long time ago."

"Who hurt you?" Lizzie's eyes stayed fixated on Jane's hand.

"A bad man."

"Why?"

Jane took a deep breath and thought about what to answer to that question. She didn't know why. The only answer she had was the fact that Charles Hoyt saw her as a challenge, a challenge to break her. A challenge he almost succeeded at. "I don't know why, honey."

"What's scars?" Lizzie asked, turning in Jane's lap to face her mother.

"Uhm… You know when you scraped your knee a few weeks ago?"

Lizzie nodded. "Yeah. There was blood."

"Yes. But now the blood is gone, and there's just a white stripe left on your knee." Jane adjusted Lizzie and stroked the small scar on her left knee. "That's a scar."

Lizzie thought deeply about that for a while, trying her best to understand her mother's words. "So… Your hands has blood first?"

"Yes, baby." Jane whispered, not wanting the girl to know any details about the horrible memory.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes." Jane shrugged and pulled her hand away from Lizzie's to brush her blonde curls back. "But it's not as bad as it was before. It's just a scar."

Lizzie nodded and seemed satisfied with the explanation. "I think it's stupid that people hurts other people."

Jane laughed and kissed the top of Lizzie's head. "Yeah, I think so too."

They stayed silent for a while until Maura emerged from the living room. "Good morning, loves." Maura walked onto the front porch, tying a silk robe around her waist as she leaned down to press her lips against Jane's.

Jane smiled and released her arm from Lizzie to pull Maura back for another kiss before she could pull away. She tangled her hand in Maura's normally perfect curls that were now messy from sleeping on it, her face wiped free from make-up, more freckled than usual due to the sun, her eyes sparkling beautifully. "Morning, gorgeous."

Maura smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment before leaning down to kiss Lizzie's head that still rested on Jane's chest. "Did you sleep well, sweetheart?" She pulled Lizzie's thumb out of her mouth and brushed her daughter's hair back.

Lizzie nodded. "Yep."

Maura sat down in the chair next to Jane's and sighed deeply, closing her eyes as she breathed in the summer air. Jane rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head and looked at her wife sitting next to her, admiring her beauty once again. "You look gorgeous," Jane whispered without really thinking about it.

"Hmm?" Maura opened her eyes and turned her head.

Jane smiled shyly and pulled Lizzie close. "I said you look gorgeous."

"I just got out of bed." Maura blushed slightly, still flushed by her wife's compliments. "But thank you."

"What's for breakfast?" Jane asked after a sweet chuckle.

"I'm afraid we only have some sandwiches," Maura said with a sad look on her face. "We have to go grocery shopping today."

"Sandwiches sound good," Jane replied before pinching Lizzie's side. "Don't you think, Liz?"

A few hours later, Maura and Lizzie came back from grocery shopping, loaded with bags and probably enough food for the next month. Jane had stayed home because Riley was still sleeping, not wanting to leave the girl all alone at the beach house while she was sleeping. Jane walked inside to help Maura put the groceries away, taking one of the paper bags from her.

"Mama, we bought hotdogs!" Lizzie jumped up and down and tucked on Jane's arm, asking for attention.

"Wha-, hotdogs?" Jane turned around to face Maura, looking at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

Maura chuckled and opened the fridge to put away a carton of milk. "The market had organic, gluten free beef hotdog. They are significantly lower in fat and made from one hundred percent organic grass fed beef." Maura took a few tomatoes and put them on the kitchen counter. "It's the only way I'll let you eat them, I'm sorry."

"Hey, I haven't had a hotdog since the day I married you," Jane said with a smirk, "I'm happy with anything."

"Somehow I don't believe that's true, Jane." Maura laughed and playfully swatted Jane's arm.

"I'm not saying a word." Jane smirked and cleared away the last of the groceries.

"Where's Riley?" Maura asked, pouring a glass of milk for Lizzie. "She's not still in bed, is she?"

"No, we played soccer after breakfast and now she's taking a shower."

Maura nodded and grabbed a raisin cookie, taking Lizzie by her hand to lead her outside, putting the glass and cookie on the table.

"She told me about last night," Jane said, leaning against the doorpost.

Maura turned around to look at her wife, silently reading her expression. Jane tried to hide her annoyance, but by the look on Maura's face, she probably failed. "Why didn't you tell me, Maur? She was pretty upset."

"This morning, still?"

"No, Maur!" Jane said, throwing her head back in frustration. "She told me she was upset, and I'm wondering why you didn't tell me."

Maura sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You were sleeping, Jane. I didn't want to wake you and I didn't think about telling you this morning."

Jane nodded and pursed her lips, not really understanding why this bothered her so much. "You used to tell me everything that happened with Riley, Maur."

"I just didn't think about it!" Maura defended herself. "Jane, don't make this a big deal, please. Riley is fine."

"She wasn't last night and it means a lot to me that you tell me what's wrong with _our _daughter!"

"Jane, please." Maura moved her hands on her hips, telling Jane that she was truly getting angry with her. "Don't make this bigger than it is. It's nothing."

"Yeah, for you!" Jane snapped and surprised herself with her anger.

Maura widened her eyes and grabbed Jane's arm, leading them inside, not wanting Lizzie to be caught up in their argument. "What is wrong with you, Jane?"

"Wrong with me?"

"Why are you making this such a big deal?" Maura tilted her head and her hands went back to her hips, a position Jane didn't like at all. "Everything was fine between us last night, I comforted Riley and now she's fine."

"Yeah," Jane said softly, slowly stepping back. "You made everything fine."

Tears shimmered in Maura's eyes and she lowered her arms in defeat. "Jane… What's the real problem here?"

"The real-…" Jane sighed and rubbed her forehead. She realized she was being too harsh and unfair, but she missed her wife so terribly. She didn't even know why she was pushing her away when she needed her more than anything. She knew what the real problem was. She was just too stubborn to admit it. Jane sighed deeply again and looked at her wife, the look in those big hazel eyes persuading her. "The real problem is that you are always the problem solver and you leave me out of it. And I was looking forward to making love to you and you were… occupied."

"So this is about sex?" Maura said harshly, startling Jane.

"No!" Jane defended herself, throwing her hands up in the air. "It's about… I don't know- it's about intimacy. About including me."

"You mean all those moments we hug and kiss and are close to each other? Those moments that we have plenty of?"

"No," Jane whispered, losing her track of thought as she looked into Maura's eyes that shimmered with anger. "I just… I don't know."

"You're just picking a fight with me for no reason," Maura added, looking disappointed. "Wow, it's been a long time since you've done that, Jane."

Jane looked at her wife and saw a tear trickling down her cheek, immediately feeling guilty. Jane was annoyed that Maura didn't tell her about Riley being upset, she was annoyed by being rejected last night. But it wasn't worth picking a fight over and she knew that. She was upset that Maura didn't include her again, but it wasn't worth fighting over.

It used to happen more often. They used to bicker more, argue about little things. It was never anything big, they argued and were upset with each other for a little while and then jumped straight to make-up sex, which had always been the most fantastic kind of sex. But since they got Riley and Lizzie, they didn't argue as much as they used to. Sure, there were frustrations and the occasional annoyance, but two kids were a handful and they put their arguments aside for the sake of the girls.

"Maur," Jane started but she stopped when she saw Riley walking into the kitchen, her eyes wide in fear, her shoulders pulled up to her ears as she tried to make her way outside without getting noticed. Jane sighed and closed her eyes while she rubbed her forehead. "Great."

"Thank you, Jane." Maura said too softly. She stepped back and walked outside to probably comfort her daughter.

Jane sighed and let herself fall on the couch, leaning her head back as she hid her face in her hands. She felt tears burning in her eyes and tried to swallow them, but failed. She hiccupped slightly and cried silently, hating the fact that she hurt her wife, hating that Maura was being unreasonable in return.

After a while, Lizzie's soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Mama?"

Jane wiped her tears and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Hey, baby," she whispered.

"Why's you and Mommy crying?" Lizzie asked, sitting on the couch next to Jane.

Jane snapped her attention towards her daughter and wiped a tear that leaked onto her cheek. "Mommy's crying?"

Lizzie nodded.

Jane closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She kissed the top of Lizzie's head and pulled her close for a moment before standing up and heading outside. She saw Maura sitting in one of the chairs, her feet tucked up under herself as she watched Riley kicking a soccer ball into the air on the beach.

"Maura," Jane rasped out, her breath hitching in her throat.

Maura snapped her attention towards Jane and sobbed at the sight of her wife's tears. She stood up and threw her arms around Jane's neck, immediately pulling her as close as humanly possible.

Jane smiled through her tears and buried her face in Maura's neck, placing a sweet kiss there as she enjoyed the warmth of the love of her life spreading through her. "Maur," she mumbled, trying to form an apology. "I'm sorry," she whispered over and over again. "I don't know what's wrong with me, I love you so much, I'm sorry."

Maura nodded against Jane but didn't reply. Jane knew that was a bad sign. Maura was still upset with her. "Babe…" Jane whispered, trying to pull back but Maura clutched to her, keeping the embrace.

They kept the embrace for a long time while Maura cried silently, before Maura gently broke the embrace. She sighed deeply and wiped her eyes, avoiding eye contact. "Maura," Jane tried again but Maura shook her head.

"Don't," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Maura."

Maura nodded and showed a sad smile. "I know." She caressed Jane's cheek for a while but the touch was cold. "I just need some time, okay?"

"Okay," Jane whispered, desperately trying to hold back her tears. She placed a kiss on Maura's forehead and walked down the beach towards Riley. She wished Maura would apologize to her, she wished Maura would understand how it made her feel. How it made her feel to be left out.

She sighed and shook her head. She couldn't think like that. Maura never meant to leave her out. She knew that. Maura just wanted what's best for Riley.

Jane kicked the ball away from Riley, eliciting a playful squeal from the teenager. She chuckled without happiness and took the ball from her daughter to kick it back to her. "How are you holding up, baby?"

"Good," Riley answered before kicking the ball back. "Are you and Mom okay?"

"Yeah," Jane smiled reassuringly but she knew Riley had noticed her red eyes. "It's just a stupid fight, that's all."

Riley nodded but still seemed concerned. Jane dribbled the ball towards her and engaged them in a playful fight about the ball, happy to hear her daughter laughing about it. Soon, Riley kicked the ball away, a little too hard so it ended up a few yards away. "Last touched has to get it," Jane said with a playful slap on Riley's arm.

"Not fair, you started it!" Riley said with faked anger.

Jane shrugged. "Same rule applies." She smiled at Riley and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, noticing how skinny her legs were in her shorts. She was wearing a loose t-shirt but Jane knew the girl's ribs were sticking out. She stopped Riley before she headed to retrieve the soccer ball. "We're okay, honey," Jane said softly, with a hopefully soothing smile.

Riley looked down at her feet and kicked some sand around. "You never fight," she replied quietly.

"We do." Jane said as she brushed her daughter's hair back. "We just don't fight as often as we used to, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

"Why? Fighting's bad…"

"Yeah, but when we were in a fight, we got all our feelings out. All our frustrations, worries, things like that." Jane smiled and walked along her daughter to get the soccer ball. "Now we just let it slide most of the time. I bottle things up. It's good to let them out every now and then, even if it's during a fight."

Riley hummed, indicating that she understood. She lazily kicked the ball back to the beach house, Jane still walking next to her. "Did you make up?" Riley asked, looking at her mother.

"We will," Jane smiled. "We always do, you never have to worry about that."

Riley nodded and Jane saw her shoulders relaxing in relief, eliciting a sweet laugh from her mother. Jane rubbed Riley's back and dropped the ball before stepping on to the front porch where Maura sat next to Lizzie as the girl finished her milk. Maura smiled at the sight of Riley's relaxed state.

"Liz, wanna go see if the ocean's warm enough?" Riley asked.

Lizzie nodded frantically. "Yeah!"

"Finish your milk first, honey." Maura rubbed Lizzie's back and handed her the glass that was almost empty.

Lizzie eagerly downed the last of the milk before following her sister on the beach. Jane watched Lizzie grabbing Riley's hand and chatting happily to her bigger sister and Jane felt her heart swelling with love at the sight. She turned back to Maura and saw an equal loving smile on the blonde's face.

"I told Riley it's good that we fight," Jane said softly, sitting down in the chair next to Maura. "'Cause it gets out all the frustrations and all that."

Maura smiled at her wife and reached to grab Jane's hand, gently tracing the scars in her palm. "You're right," she whispered, softly massaging Jane's hand with her fingers.

"Lizzie asked me about them this morning," Jane whispered, looking at her wife's hand in her own.

"What did you say?" Maura asked, turning her attention back to the brunette.

Jane shrugged. "I told her I was hurt, and that it got better. Just like when she scraped her knee a while ago, and the blood dried and now it's just a white stripe."

"That's a clever explanation, Jane," Maura said, sounding a little surprised.

"Really? That surprises you that much?" Jane smirked and playfully pinched Maura's leg, eliciting a sweet laugh from the blonde, music to Jane's ears.

Jane smiled brightly as Maura stood up and sat sideways in her wife's lap, her arms securely wrapping around the brunette's neck, looking at their daughters on the beach as she rested her cheek against Jane's forehead. "It doesn't surprise me," Maura said softly with a slight chuckle, "you're an amazing mother."

"Just not always an amazing wife." Jane added softly.

Maura hummed and pursed her lips, untangling one arm from around Jane's neck to lace their fingers together. "Not always." She smiled and averted her gaze from the girls to her wife, looking down into brown eyes that showed immense guilt. "But no one is amazing all the time."

"You are," Jane said with a sweet smile, knowing very well how cheesy that was.

"Smooth, Jane." Maura laughed and pressed her lips against her wife's in a loving kiss, deepening it after a few moments. When they broke the kiss, gasping for air, Maura brushed Jane's hair back and leaned her cheek against Jane's temple as she turned her attention back to their daughters in the distance, running through the ocean shore. "I'm not amazing all the time either, Jane. I'm aware of that. I should have told you about Riley. I shouldn't have left you out of it. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Jane whispered softly, her hands slowly creeping under Maura's summer dress, stroking the soft skin of her thighs. The touch wasn't sexual in any way; Jane just wanted to feel her wife's skin under her fingers. "It's just… It hurts me that you're always the one to comfort Riley. I know you're great at it and she loves you and confides in you… And I know I can be so stupid and say things I don't mean and you… You still stay amazing, no matter what." She chuckled to herself and squeezed Maura's thigh. "I don't know how you put up with me, honestly."

"It's easy, you're extremely sexy and a very good kisser." Maura chuckled at her own joke, eliciting a heartfelt laugh from the detective. She turned to face her wife again and her smile faded. "I'm not putting up with you, Jane. You're my heart. You're the greatest mother our children could ever wish for and I love you with all my heart. I promise I'll include you, always. I'm so sorry, Jane." She smiled and kissed Jane's lips. "You're amazing."

"If I'm amazing, it's only because you make me amazing, Maur," Jane whispered in a husky voice.

Jane saw tears shimmering in sparkling hazel eyes as Maura looked intently at her, cupping Jane's cheek as she stroked it with her thumb. "You're awfully cheesy today, babe," Maura whispered after swallowing a lump in her throat.

"You complaining?" Jane raised an eyebrow, eliciting a sweet laugh from the doctor.

"No, not at all." Maura captured her wife's lips again, kissing her deeply as her hands tangled in Jane's curls. They kissed for a few minutes, simply enjoying the taste of each other, their intimate position and their never-ending love.

After a while, the sound of faint cries in the distance startled the women. Jane snapped her attention towards the girls, seeing that Riley was carrying Lizzie towards the house. "I think Lizzie's bleeding," Jane said, straightening her back and narrowing her eyes to get a clearer view.

"Bleeding?" Maura immediately rushed off Jane's lap towards the girls.

Jane quickly followed and when she came closer, she saw that Lizzie's foot was bleeding profusely as the girl cried loudly. "What happened?" Maura asked, immediately examining Lizzie's foot.

"She cut her foot on a rock, I think," Riley replied, handing Lizzie to Jane who took the girl and carried her on her hip while Maura kept looking at her foot.

"You think?"

"Yeah, I didn't see what it was, but we were running around and she cut her foot on something."

Maura sighed and kissed the back of Lizzie's head. "You should have worn water shoes or flippers." She guided the family to walk back inside. "I'll have to clean the cut to see if it needs stitches, but I don't think stitches are necessary."

"Stitch?" Lizzie widened her eyes and looked at Maura with great fear.

"No honey," Maura smiled reassuringly. "Mommy's just going to get your foot cleaned, we'll put a bandage on it and everything will be fine."

Lizzie nodded and buried her face in the crook of Jane's neck, her hand resting on Jane's chest as she cried silently, mostly from the shock and the amount of blood. "Does it hurt, baby?"

Lizzie nodded against Jane and wiped her cheeks with her other hand. Jane rubbed her daughter's back as they walked inside where Maura hurried to get the medical kit. She sat at the dinner table, taking Lizzie into her lap who immediately curled up and clung to her mother, lifting her foot into the air. "It's gonna be okay, baby," Jane said with a smile.

Maura lifted Lizzie's foot into her lap and gently traced the cut with skilled hands. "Okay, sweetie, this will sting a little bit."

"No, Mommy," Lizzie whimpered immediately, trying to pull her foot back.

"It's not bad," Jane tried to calm her daughter as Maura took a firmer grip on the girl's ankle. "Mommy's just gonna have to clean it, otherwise it'll get worse."

"No, I don't wanna sting!" Lizzie cried, covering her face with her hands.

"Hey Liz," Riley kneeled down next to her sister, gently pulling Lizzie's hands down. "Mom's a doctor and she's very good at making things better, remember?"

Lizzie nodded and sniffled loudly, eliciting a sweet smile from Riley. "Remember when Mom used to change the bandages on my back?" Lizzie nodded again. "Mom did the same as she's gonna do with you, and did it ever hurt me?"

"No," Lizzie whispered as she shook her head.

Jane smiled at their interaction and watched Maura wetting a cotton wool with iodine, carefully cleaning the cut while Lizzie's mind was still occupied with the conversation with her sister.

"Exactly, it didn't hurt 'cause Mom's a doctor and she's very good at it." Riley smiled and stroked Lizzie's leg. "Doctors don't hurt people, they fix people. Especially Mom, 'cause she's a doctor _and _our mom."

"Moms don't hurt people also," Lizzie said through her tears after a hiccup.

"No, good moms don't."

It wasn't until Maura placed a bandage on the bottom of Lizzie's foot that the girl turned her attention back to her mother. "I'm all done, my love," Maura smiled at her daughter, grabbing a piece of sports tape to make sure the bandage would stay in place. "That wasn't that bad, was it?"

Lizzie shook her head before resting it back against Jane's chest. "'Cause you're a Mommy-doctor."

"That's right," Maura said softly as she pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead. She moved her attention towards Jane and the brunette smiled lovingly at her. "You know," Maura whispered, "I like that title better than Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

Jane laughed and kissed her wife's lips. "I agree, Mommy-doctor."

_A/N I feel like I'm losing my flow a little bit with this story, but I hope you'll stick around. There's more hopefully interesting events coming up! Your reviews make me happy and it means the world to me that all of you are taking the time to read this story. I can't explain how close it is to my heart. _

_I uploaded another story called 'Lights Will Guide You Home'. It's a little darker and has more angst than this one, but I'd love it if you'd check it out! And don't worry; I'll still update this story every other day. ;) _


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

It was an early Monday morning at the beach house and Maura was lying on top of Jane, their legs tangled together as she enjoyed the feeling of her wife's skin without the barrier of clothing. They were panting slightly and Maura lifted her head to look at her wife, seeing a smug smile on the brunette's face.

"What?" Maura whispered, smiling down at her wife.

"Nothing," Jane shrugged. "It's been a while since we've had morning sex. I love morning sex."

Maura laughed and pressed her lips against Jane's for a quick kiss. "I love you, more than morning sex."

"That's cheesy." Jane grinned and lifted her head to place a trail of wet kisses along Maura's collarbone, eliciting a small moan from the blonde.

Maura sighed contently and threw her head back at the feeling of her wife's lips on her skin, but when she felt a rush or arousal trickling down her spine, she pulled away and buried her head in the crook of Jane's neck. "We can't, Jane. The girls will be up soon."

"Riley won't," Jane smirked, kissing the side of Maura's head.

Maura sighed and tried to resist her wife, but the feeling of Jane's lips on her neck made her moan and crash their lips together. Jane broke the kiss after a few moments, gently pushing Maura to the side. "Jane!" Maura whined immediately.

"A door opened downstairs, Maur." Jane smirked at her wife's eagerness and Maura sighed.

"I didn't hear anything," she whispered seductively before pressing her lips against the brunette's again. She eagerly kissed her wife but broke it when she heard someone stumbling up the stairs. She lowered her head and groaned slightly. "That's probably Lizzie."

She sighed deeply and kissed her wife one last time before getting out of bed and quickly putting on a summer dress and some panties, thinking she would take a shower later as Lizzie was currently trying to make her way upstairs with an injured foot. She made her way out of the bedroom, closely followed by Jane who threw on a sweater and some boy shorts.

"Mommy, there's blood again," Lizzie said from halfway up the stairs, holding up her foot with a loose bandage and indeed a small stream of blood.

Maura sighed and walked down the stairs, lifting Lizzie up to prevent her tearing open the cut any further. "Good morning, my baby," she said after kissing her daughter's cheek. "Let's refresh your bandage then."

"I'm gonna go take a shower real quick," Jane said, knowing Maura could handle Lizzie's foot by herself, needing to freshen up after last night and this morning.

Maura nodded and smiled at her wife before walking to the kitchen, putting Lizzie on a chair, her foot elevated on another as she grabbed the bandages. "Did you sleep well, honey?"

Lizzie rested her head back against the chair and nodded, but Maura saw that the girl was tired. She made a mental note to put Lizzie to bed early tonight. Maura took Lizzie's foot in her lap and examined the cut, seeing nothing disturbing, but she knew it would bother the girl for a while. The cut was quite deep and Lizzie could only walk on her heel and there was a good chance she wouldn't be swimming in the ocean this vacation. Maura refreshed the bandages and made sure they were taped securely.

She snapped her attention from Lizzie's foot to her face as she heard the girl sniffling, seeing thick tears trickling down her daughter's cheek. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Does it hurt?"

Lizzie shook her head and wiped her cheeks with the back of both her hands. Maura sighed and lifted Lizzie into her lap, taking her place in the chair. "Keep your foot up, honey. It'll stop the bleeding sooner." She guided Lizzie's leg up on the chair in front of them.

"I wanna play soccer," Lizzie said softly, he voice weak and vulnerable.

"I know, my love," Maura whispered, pulling Lizzie close as she kissed the back of her head. "But we're going to do other fun things that won't hurt your foot, okay?"

Lizzie nodded and turned her head to rest it on Maura's chest, keeping her back to Maura's front, her foot up on the chair as she snuggled close. Maura smiled and gently rubbed Lizzie's stomach, listening to her sniffles, occasionally wiping a few tears. "I know you're disappointed, sweetheart," Maura said softly. "It's no fun to not be able to walk properly, especially on vacation."

Lizzie nodded again and shifted to sit sideways in Maura's lap, keeping her foot up as her other hand rested on Maura's stomach. She sucked her thumb in her mouth and Maura fought the urge to pull it down, knowing how tired Lizzie was.

"Is the blood gonna go away?" Lizzie asked, pulling her thumb out of her mouth for a second.

"Yes, honey." Maura smiled and kissed her daughter's curls. "It'll go away and in a few days we'll just put a bandage on it without tape, and maybe we can cover it with some plastic so you can swim in the ocean for a bit."

"Really?" Lizzie turned to look at her mother and Maura smiled at the happiness in her light brown eyes.

Maura brushed her hair back and smiled lovingly. "Yes, really. Not for the next few days though, maybe this weekend or next week."

Lizzie sighed and Maura thought she was about to protest, but she nodded and relaxed back against her mother. Maura smiled, always loving to have her youngest daughter in her lap, securely wrapped in motherly arms. "You know, I brought a brand new coloring book in my suitcase."

"A coloring book?" Lizzie turned around with a bright smile that lit up her entire face.

"Yes, a Disney one." Maura smiled at her daughter's beautiful smile and brushed her hair back.

"Can I go get it?" Lizzie asked, straightening her back and pulling her feet away from the chair.

"No, it's upstairs, I'll get it for you." Maura smiled and squeezed Lizzie close, kissing the top of her head before lifting the girl off her lap. "Keep your foot up, honey. I'll be right back."

Maura hurried upstairs and saw Jane coming out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel as she went to look for her underwear in a drawer. "Hey, gorgeous," Maura said as she gently wrapped her arms around Jane's waist from behind, kissing the damp skin on her shoulder.

Jane hummed and turned around to kiss Maura's lips. "Hey yourself. How's Lizzie?"

Maura kissed her wife's lips and went through her suitcase, looking for the coloring book she left in there. "She's fine, I think she cut it open in her sleep. She's a little upset about it, though."

"Yeah, she was looking forward to running around on the beach all day, wasn't she?"

"Yes, but she's not allowed to do that until the cut is healed." Maura sighed and grabbed the book, watching Jane putting on a pair of panties, unconsciously licking her lips. "We'll have to think about different ways to entertain her."

"That's gonna be tough," Jane said, continuing to get dressed.

Maura sighed deeply and stepped back to her wife, pressing her lips against Jane's for a brief kiss. "Hmm, yes it is."

"What do you want for breakfast?" Jane asked as she pulled a tank top over her head.

"You're making breakfast?" Maura smiled brightly, loving it when Jane cooked for them.

Jane shrugged. "Yeah, what do you want?"

"There's eggs in the fridge, and I think you would make Lizzie very happy with pancakes."

"I wanna make _you _happy, though."

"I'm happy as long as our kids are happy," Maura said with a light shrug, not even thinking about the love in those words as she walked towards the door.

"And that's what makes you the best mom in the world," Jane said with a loving smile as she zipped her shorts.

Maura looked at her wife, feeling quite surprised before she thought about her words. She smiled and stepped back to kiss her wife. "You're not doing so bad yourself, detective."

Back downstairs, Maura expected to find Lizzie fuzzing around but she was surprised to see Lizzie sitting in the exact same position in the chair, thumb sucked in her mouth, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. Maura sighed at the sight and got out a box of pencils before she lifted the girl into her lap again. "Here you go, my love," Maura whispered, handing Lizzie the coloring book.

Lizzie didn't reply and just smiled as she browsed through it, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Maura kissed the back of Lizzie's head and turned them towards the table so Lizzie could put the book down.

Lizzie stopped at a page with Cinderella, tracing the picture with her small finger. "Cinderella's Mommy and Daddy died also," she said softly, "like mine too."

Maura swallowed a lump in her throat, surprised to hear Lizzie mentioning her parents. "Yes, they did." Maura whispered, pulling her daughter close. "I know you miss them, honey."

Lizzie nodded and lowered the coloring book, not taking her eyes away from the picture. "Is Mommy and Daddy okay?"

Maura felt tears burning in her eyes and rested her cheek against Lizzie's temple from behind. "Yes, my love. They're okay."

Lizzie sniffled and closed the book, turning to nuzzle her face into Maura's warm chest. Maura hugged her daughter close and rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head as she felt the girl's tears wetting her dress. One hand clutching the coloring book, the other resting on Maura's stomach, Lizzie cried silently and it broke Maura's heart. Silent cries were the worst kind of cries. When Lizzie fell or wanted her way, she would scream and sob and it was usually over soon. This was a different kind of crying. It came from a deep, deep kind of pain that no five-year old should ever experience.

"I want Mommy and Daddy," Lizzie cried.

"I know you do, my baby," Maura whispered in response, a single tear trickling down her cheek. "Mama and I are always here for you, you know that right?"

Lizzie nodded against Maura's chest and wiped her cheeks again. Maura gently took the book from her daughter and shifted her to her front, immediately feeling Lizzie's arm wrapping around her neck. She smiled through her tears and rubbed Lizzie's back, hoping to comfort the girl.

After a few moments of silence, Jane walked into the kitchen, startled by the sight of her crying daughter clutching to her wife. "What's going on?"

Maura rocked Lizzie from side to side and looked at Jane with sad eyes. "Grief," she whispered, not knowing how else to explain Lizzie's tears. "I think a lack of energy has something to do with it, but I'm fairly certain it's grief."

Jane leaned down and kissed the back of Lizzie's head, a look of sadness and pain edged on her face. "Baby," she whispered.

Lizzie sniffled against Maura's neck, lowering her hand to wipe her cheek, resting it on Maura's chest as her other arm stayed securely wrapped around Maura's neck. Maura rubbed her daughter's back as tears burned in her eyes. "We're here, my love," Maura whispered. "We're always here. We're never leaving you."

"Mommy and Daddy leaved." Lizzie said and her voice sounded so small and vulnerable it broke Maura's heart, causing hot tears to spill onto her cheeks, not even noticing her daughter's grammar error.

"They didn't leave you alone, honey," Jane said, leaning against the edge of the table as she smoothed Lizzie's blond curls. "Something bad happened to them, and they left you with Mommy and me."

Lizzie nodded but didn't move her head from the crook of Maura's neck. Jane smiled sadly and reached to wipe a tear from Maura's cheek. "And Mommy and me are going to take such good care of you, and we're gonna love you so much for the rest of your life."

Maura smiled and cupped Lizzie's face, gently pulling her back to look into her light brown eyes that had turned red from crying. She brushed Lizzie's hair back and swallowed a lump in her throat. "We already do, my baby," Maura whispered before kissing Lizzie's forehead. "We love you so much."

Lizzie didn't reply and leaned back into the embrace, resting her head on Maura's chest again, her thumb back in her mouth. "Jane, what time did she go to sleep last night?" Maura asked softly as Jane turned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She hadn't paid attention to Lizzie's bedtime.

Jane shrugged. "I don't know, a little after nine thirty I think?"

"That explains some of it," Maura said, mostly to herself as she rocked her daughter back and forth. "We should put her to sleep on time tonight. Maybe a nap after lunch if she needs it."

Jane hummed and got the eggs out of the fridge. Maura looked at the girl resting on her chest and smiled when she saw that Lizzie's eyes were closed. "How do you feel about having some pancakes, sweetheart?" Maura whispered softly.

Lizzie nodded, but didn't open her eyes, looking like she was about to fall back asleep. Maura contemplated waking her, but the girl needed the sleep so badly and Maura wouldn't pass on an opportunity of a sleeping girl in her arms. She slightly slumped down in her chair and felt Lizzie snuggling to get more comfortable, sniffling as the last of her tears spilled on her cheeks. "It's okay, my love," Maura whispered soothingly. "I'm here. You can sleep, it's okay."

Maura closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Lizzie's forehead, soothingly rubbing her daughter's back as she heard the girl's breaths slowing down, the tears on her cheeks finally drying. Maura carefully pulled her close and sighed deeply, loving how her baby girl was sleeping in her lap. A part of the doctor wished it would always be like this. That Lizzie would always be five years old, happy and cheerfully running around, gladly burying herself in her mothers' arms, no seat better than her mother's lap.

Maura didn't like to think about it, but her girls would eventually be growing up. Lizzie wouldn't always be a cuddly five-year old and Riley, even though she would always be different, wouldn't always be the teenager she was now. It only made Maura appreciate these precious moments more. These precious moments of having her daughter curled up in her lap, sleeping peacefully. Maura soaked it in with all she had.

The blonde sighed and smiled slightly, smelling the smell of pancake batter along with the smell of her baby girl. She opened her eyes when she heard a bedroom door opening, seeing Riley walking into the kitchen.

"Morning," she greeted her mothers.

"Morning, honey," Jane smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Be quiet, Lizzie's asleep."

Riley looked behind her at Maura and Lizzie, immediately noticing that both of them had been crying. "Is everything alright?"

Maura nodded. "Yes, love." She untangled one arm from Lizzie and stretched it towards Riley, pulling her down to kiss the girl's cheek. "Did you sleep well?" Maura whispered with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Riley, can you help me with these?" Jane asked, mixing the pancake batter with one hand as the other opened a cabinet above her head. "I need that pan and some olive oil."

Riley nodded and did what Jane asked, gladly helping her mother with breakfast. They chatted quietly, talking about everything and nothing. Riley told Jane about a strange dream she had last night and Jane comforted her by telling her that she's not losing her mind because she had a weird dream. Maura still felt bad about leaving Jane out. She didn't do it on purpose. It just happened. She never meant to cause Jane any pain. She loved watching Jane and Riley working together, Jane talking to her daughter in a soft, soothing voice as Riley laughed about her mother's jokes and sweet words.

Maura smiled and felt tears burning in her eyes at the sight of her lovely family. Her youngest daughter curled up in her lap, sleeping peacefully as her oldest daughter worked in the kitchen, along with the love of her life. All the people in the room had experienced way too much pain, too much hurt and too much grief. All of them knew how it felt to lose someone, to be hurt and to have your heart ripped apart in a million pieces. Yet all of them found strength in each other. Maura found strength in Jane's dark eyes that spoke of trust and love, she found strength in Riley's young wisdom and need for affection, she found strength in Lizzie's cheerfulness and ability to make people smile. She found strength in the never-ending love for her wife and daughters, the three most important people in her life. And she knew they found strength in each other.

Maura didn't realize that a few tears made its way down her cheeks until Riley's soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Mom, you okay?"

"Yeah," Maura nodded and smiled lovingly at her daughter who was flipping a pancake. She kissed the top of Lizzie's head and rested her cheek against it, closing her eyes as she allowed the tiredness in her body to overwhelm her for a moment. It was a good kind of tiredness, but she was tired nonetheless.

After about twenty minutes, all the pancakes were ready and as if Lizzie had gotten a sign, she started stirring in Maura's lap and slowly waking up. "Good morning, love," Maura whispered with a smile, brushing her daughter's hair back.

Lizzie let out a deep breath and snuggled further into Maura's chest, moving her body as if she turned onto her side in bed. "It's time for breakfast," Maura said as she rubbed Lizzie's back. "Mama and Riley made pancakes."

The word 'pancakes' caused Lizzie to open her eyes and take a deep breath, smelling the delicious smell of pancakes. "Yeah," Lizzie said with a tired smile as she rubbed her eyes. "Pancakes."

Maura laughed at her daughter's utter adorableness and kissed the girl's forehead. "Come on, let's set the table so we can eat."

_A/N Thank you all for your kind reviews, it makes me happy! _


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"You gotta put more sand on this side, otherwise it's gonna collapse," Jane pointed towards the right side of the sand castle she was currently building with Lizzie, a few yards away from the beach house.

Lizzie nodded and grabbed some more sand, carefully applying it to the wall so the castle would stay up. She was wearing her sneakers, which was a little warm, but at least it would keep the bandages on her injured foot secure and safe from getting infected.

"Yeah, that's good," Jane smiled at her youngest daughter and the focused look on her young face. The short nap from that morning clearly had a positive effect on Lizzie and she was her usual cheery self again.

Jane watched Lizzie working on the sand castle, the tip of her tongue out of her mouth as she filled another bucket with sand to build a tower. Jane smiled and sighed. Lizzie was her absolute weak spot and she knew it. This girl could demolish the entire house and she would be forgiven with one smile and one look into those light brown eyes.

"When's Mommy and Riley gonna be back?" Lizzie asked as she turned the bucket of sand upside down on the left of the castle.

Maura and Riley were buying supplies to fill her medical kit, knowing that she'd need more bandages than they had anticipated before taking this trip. "They should be back soon, the store isn't that far."

"I wanna show Mommy the castle," Lizzie said with a proud smile, leaning back to admire her masterpiece.

"Well, you're in luck," Jane said with a smile as she saw Maura and Riley walking up to the house. "There she is."

"Yeah!" Lizzie yelled and tried to jump up, but flinched in pain when she put too much weight on the cut on her foot. She groaned and let herself fall back into the sand, tears already shimmering in her eyes. Lizzie absolutely hated not being able to run around. Normally she did nothing else, energetic as always.

Jane sighed and stood up, lifting Lizzie off the beach, throwing her onto her back. "Hold on tight, Liz!" Jane hooked her arms under Lizzie's legs and felt the girl's arms wrapping around her from behind, securely holding on to her mother as Jane ran over the beach, towards Maura and Riley.

"Faster, Mama, faster!" Lizzie giggled loudly and bounced on Jane's back.

"I'm not a horse, kiddo," Jane panted as she ran along the beach, smiling at her daughter's giggles.

Lizzie laughed and held on tight. "Mommy!" she yelled at Maura who just stepped on to the front porch. "Mooooommyyyyy!"

Maura turned around, surprised by her daughter's screams and laughed when she looked at the two of them. "Well, it looks like you've found a way to run on the beach" after all," Maura smiled and handed Riley the bag from the drugstore before taking Lizzie off Jane's back, pulling her into her arms as she carried her inside.

"Don't think I'll be making a habit out of it, Liz," Jane smirked, still panting lightly from carrying the weight of a five-year old through the loose sand. "That's a heck of a workout."

Maura smiled and shifted Lizzie to her hip to press her lips against Jane's. "Hi, babe," she whispered.

"Hey," Jane smiled and kissed Maura's lips again, taking in her wife's beauty. Maura was wearing a yellow summer dress that hung loosely around her beautiful curves, hugging her breasts more tightly, making her adorable freckles stand out. She was wearing a minimal amount of make-up and her hair was frizzy and tight up in a ponytail and the woman had never looked more beautiful.

"What?" Maura had put Lizzie down who immediately hopped towards Riley to tell her all about the sand castle, and Maura had noticed her wife staring at her.

"Nothing," Jane shrugged and wrapped her arms around her wife's waist, burying her head in the crook of Maura's neck, deeply inhaling the scent of Maura's flowery shampoo, the beach and the unique scent that was her wife. A scent that never failed to make Jane's stomach twist and her heart flutter. "You're gorgeous."

Maura pulled back and cupped Jane's cheek to press a loving kiss against her lips. "So are you, my beautiful detective," Maura smirked and kissed the brunette again, this time more deeply.

"Mama, stop kissing!" Lizzie called from the kitchen, "I wanna show Mommy the castle!"

Jane laughed into the kiss and pretended to ignore the girl, raising her eyebrows as she kept her lips pressed against Maura's. Maura chuckled, her breath tickling Jane's lips but she didn't pull away either.

"Mamaaa!" Lizzie whined, stumbling towards her mother as she pulled on Maura's dress. "Mommy, we made a castle."

Maura broke the kiss and pecked her wife's lips one last time before looking down at her youngest daughter. "You did?" She smiled and squeezed Jane's side, smiling proudly at her. "Can I see it?"

Lizzie nodded frantically and tugged on Maura's hand, leading her out of the house, still hopping on the heel of her right foot. "Riley too!" she called over her shoulder to Riley who was putting away the new bandages.

Riley sighed and didn't seem the least bit excited to check out a poorly built sand castle. Jane smiled and walked towards her oldest daughter, kissing girl's cheek for a moment. "C'mon, I helped. It'd make your sis incredibly happy if you pretend to like it."

Riley smirked and allowed Jane to pull her close for a moment. "Alright." She sighed and followed her mother and sister, but Jane saw the girl smiling at Lizzie's enthusiasm.

Jane chuckled at Lizzie who was hopping around the sand castle in the distance. Maura's proud, loving smile could be seen from miles away and Jane fell in love with her all over again. She sighed contently and walked back to the kitchen to pour herself some coffee, needing some caffeine after a long night of lovemaking and not a lot of sleep. She sat down on the edge of the front porch and slowly sipped her coffee, thinking about the vacation and the days to come. Two weeks of beach, sun, family and snuggles. Life couldn't be better.

After a minute or two, Riley came walking back to the house and sat closely next to Jane, sighing deeply before hesitantly resting her head on Jane's shoulder. Jane smiled and wrapped one arm around her daughter, pulling her close as she sipped her coffee with her other hand.

"It's so hot," Riley said softly, referring to the warm, humid weather of that day.

Jane hummed. "I know. It's the humidity. We're lucky we're on the beach, you don't want to be in the city right now."

Riley smiled and snuggled into Jane's side, despite the heat. They stayed silent for a few minutes before Maura and Lizzie came walking back. Maura tried to carry Lizzie so she wouldn't have to hop all the way back to the house, but Lizzie refused, furiously shaking her head. Jane chuckled at the sight. Lizzie wasn't her biological daughter, but she recognized herself a lot in the little girl. Feisty, strong willed and independent, with a heart of gold and all the love in the world. Jane kissed the top of Riley's head and thought about how different her oldest daughter was. Riley wasn't as strong willed as Lizzie and was more easily convinced. She was definitely easier in everyday tasks, but the emotional pain Riley carried with her was heartbreaking and too much for a fifteen-year old.

"Hey, you wanna go swimming in the ocean later?" Jane asked, looking at the water that looked incredibly inviting. "To cool off?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't know," she said softly.

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Riley repeated in a soft whisper.

"It's just us, honey," Jane gently rubbed Riley's upper arm and pulled her close, knowing how insecure the teen was about her scars.

"No it's not, there's other people."

"Yeah, like a mile away," Jane replied with a smile, trying to get her daughter to loosen up. "Y'know, the good thing about this house is that it's so expensive, there's not much people around."

Riley nodded but Jane knew she wasn't convinced. The girl wore t-shirts and she was very careful to cover up her back and shoulders, not wanting to expose any of the scars that reminded her of her past. But Jane knew Riley had to overcome that fear, to not be afraid of her own body and to accept herself as she was. "Baby," Jane put down her almost empty coffee cup and cupped Riley's face, forcing her to look at her mother. "We don't care about your scars."

Riley nodded but Jane saw tears shimmering in her eyes and her bottom lip quivered. "But I do."

Jane closed her eyes and sighed deeply, kissing Riley's forehead before pulling her into her arms. "I know," Jane whispered, rocking them back and forth as she rubbed her daughter's back. "I know you hate them, I know they make you scared and insecure, I know they hurt even though they don't hurt physically anymore." Jane sighed and knew too well how scars could bother a person. "I know."

"Lizzie has never seen them," Riley whispered, her voice small and insecure. "I don't want to scare her."

"Lizzie's not easily scared." Jane smiled and turned her head to rest her cheek against Riley's temple, looking at Maura who was sitting cross-legged in the sand opposite Lizzie as the girl told about her castle. "She's five, she'll ask about it, we'll explain and she'll be fine."

"How?"

Jane shrugged. "I managed to explain mine, we'll be able to explain yours."

Riley sighed and turned in the embrace, looking at one of Jane's hands that was resting on her upper leg. "You've never told me how you got them."

"No, I haven't," Jane replied softly. She had only told her someone did something bad to her, but never any details.

"Do you not want to tell it?" Riley asked carefully.

"In a way, no," Jane sighed and rubbed Riley's back. "But not because of myself. Just because I want to protect you."

"Of what?"

Jane thought about the answer to that question but failed to come up with one. Hoyt was dead, he haunted her in nightmares sometimes, but that was it. He was gone. Jane didn't want to tell Riley about it because she didn't want her daughter to know her ultimate weakness. The one man that almost broke her, that memory that kept her up countless nights, the man who almost killed the woman she loved the most. "I don't want you to see me differently," Jane whispered. "It's not a fun story."

"Why would I see you differently?" Riley asked, pulling back to look at her mother. "If you survived something that gave you those, that only makes you stronger right? That's what you and Mom tell me about mine."

Jane smiled and felt tears burning in her eyes at Riley's wisdom. She tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear and caressed her cheek for a second, contemplating whether or not she wanted Riley to know about the reason for her scars.

After a few moments, she decided it would probably be a great help to Riley if she knew Jane's story and she decided to tell it. "Okay," she said softly. "There was a man named Charles Hoyt," she shivered at the mention of his name; she hadn't talked about him in a very long time.

But she did now. She told Riley everything. She raked up all the memories, the pain and the fear and she told her daughter about it. She told her how he almost got his hands on Maura, how it made her realize her love for this woman even more. But more importantly, Jane told her daughter how she overcame the memories. How Maura soothed her after her countless nightmares, how she spent many sleepless nights in the doctor's arms, and how after a while, she grew stronger. She told Riley it would be the same for her and Riley soaked it all in. Riley believed her mother when she said it would get better; she took comfort in Jane's story and the fact that she came out of it stronger.

When Jane finished talking, she sighed deeply and wiped a tear from Riley's cheek, seeing fascination and love in her daughter's bright blue eyes. "You're incredible, Ma," Riley whispered barely audible. "I never knew you saved Mom's life."

Jane smiled shyly and turned her attention to Maura and Lizzie who were just standing up to walk back to the house. "It wasn't me. She gave me the strength to do it. She saved herself."

"Yeah, but without you, Mom would probably not even be here."

Jane turned back to Riley and smiled a sad smile. "Without me," she whispered quietly, "she wouldn't even have been that close to him in the first place."

Riley's expression turned to sadness and she threw her arms around Jane's neck, eliciting a sweet laugh from the brunette. "You did good, Ma," Riley said softly.

Jane smiled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before hugging her daughter back. "Thank you, honey." Jane pulled back and looked into Riley's eyes. "So did you, Riley," she said sincerely. "You're doing good."

"I assume you mean she's doing _well_?" Maura said with a smile as she walked up to the two of them on the porch, hearing the last of the conversation.

"Yeah, thanks for ruining the moment." Jane smirked but pursed her lips to kiss her wife.

Maura smiled and happily offered Jane a quick and loving kiss before turning towards Riley and kissing the top of her head. "Are you okay, love?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah, Ma and me are gonna go swim. You coming too?"

"Oh," Maura smiled brightly but her smile fell when she looked at Lizzie who walked up next to her. "I'd love to, but I think I'll stay with Lizzie."

"Why?" Lizzie asked as she looked up at her mother, not understanding what they were talking about.

Maura sighed deeply, knowing this would cause some fuss. "Mama and Riley are going swimming, honey." She smiled and brushed Lizzie's curls back. "And you and me are staying here."

"I wanna swim too!" Lizzie immediately jumped in, looking at Jane with an expecting smile.

"You can't, baby," Jane replied, truly feeling sorry for her. "We have to wait until the cut on your foot is healed."

Lizzie let out a whining grunt and let herself fall into the sand. "But I wanna swim in the sea too!"

"If you go, I can promise you that the seawater will hurt very badly because it's salt," Maura said in a strict tone. "And you will have trouble walking for even longer, and it will bleed again."

Lizzie pouted and crossed her arms, knowing that it wasn't much use to keep on whining. Jane smiled at her and leaned forward to kiss her forehead before helping Riley up. "You're gonna have fun with your Mom, Liz." She smiled and tickled Riley's side. "Last one to get changed has to take a cold shower."

"Not fair!" Riley squealed as Jane took off, running upstairs. She laughed and ran towards the other bedroom downstairs to get changed.

When she came back, Jane was already waiting downstairs in her bikini, a sporty, dark blue top with a classic bottom. "You lost," Jane smirked. "Cold shower, sorry kiddo."

Riley let her shoulders hang, still wearing a T-shirt over her bikini. "Really?"

Jane smiled at her daughter and shrugged. "Nah, I'm just teasing." She kissed Riley's cheek and rubbed her back for a moment. "It's okay, baby," Jane whispered, referring to Riley's insecurities. "Race ya to the sea?"

Before Jane could even finish the question, Riley already took off, racing towards the shore. Jane yelled and followed her quickly, but stopped when Maura called them back.

"Jane! Sunscreen!"

Jane sighed and saw Riley abruptly stopping as well, slowly walking back to the house where Maura was holding up a bottle of sunscreen. "You'll thank me tomorrow," Maura lifted an eyebrow and smirked.

"Do my back?" Jane asked as she finished the rest of her body and handed the sunscreen to Maura.

Maura hummed and squirted some sunscreen in the palm of her hand before handing the bottle to Riley. "My pleasure, detective," Maura whispered into Jane's ear as she applied the lotion to Jane's back.

Jane closed her eyes at the feeling of her wife's soft yet strong hands roaming around her back, gently massaging into her skin as she applied the sunscreen. She moaned in disappointment when Maura stopped.

"All done," Maura said with a wet kiss to the back of Jane's neck.

"Already?"

Maura laughed and wrapped her arms around Jane's waist, resting her cheek against the back of Jane's shoulder. "Yes, I'm sorry." She chuckled and kissed the spot right below Jane's ear. "Go have fun with Riley."

Jane hummed and leaned back into Maura's front. "Where's Lizzie?"

"Bathroom. She calmed down but she's quite disappointed."

Jane shrugged. "I get it. It should heal soon, right?"

"I think it needs a few more days, but yes, it doesn't look bad." Maura turned Jane in her arms and kissed her lips. "Go. Make sure she has a good time and forgets about everything else."

"Will do," Jane smiled and kissed her wife one last time before turning to Riley, who had taken off her T-shirt and was standing uncomfortably in front of her mother. "You ready?"

"Can you uhm…" Riley asked softly, "can you do my back, please?"

"Of course." Jane smiled and took the bottle from her daughter, lightly tracing the angry scars on the girl's back with her hands before gently applying the sunscreen. The small, round white marks still hurt Jane every single time she saw them and among those were now a few white stripes, caused by the scratches she had injured herself with a while ago. Jane ignored the narrowing feeling her chest and massaged the sunscreen into Riley's back before kissing the back of her head. "I'm done."

"Thanks." Riley smiled shyly and watched Jane throwing the bottle in the sand with a surprised look on her face. "Ready?"

"I was born ready!" Riley yelled over her shoulder as she was already running towards the sea.

"Oh yeah? I was born fast!" Jane yelled with a laugh as she passed her daughter.

The two ended up screaming, squealing and wrestling for a good amount of time. Halfway through, Riley ran back to retrieve the soccer ball to try and play their own-invented game 'ocean-soccer' which turned out to be very difficult but a lot of fun. Riley didn't even seem to think about her scars. All her insecurities were forgotten and her mind was occupied with beating her mother at ocean-soccer. Jane loved every minute of it. She loved the smile on her daughter's face, seeing the relaxation in her muscles, the sound of her laugh and the sight of her just being a teenager. It was everything Jane ever wanted for the girl.

They didn't walk back to the house until they were completely exhausted and it was clearly after dinnertime since both stomachs were growling. Jane followed Riley back to the house and saw Maura sitting a few yards away from the house in a lounge beach chair, reading a book as Lizzie sat on her knees in the sand, coloring in her new Disney-book on the other end of the chair.

Jane smiled at the sight and walked up to them, stepping behind the chair to press a kiss to Maura' s neck that was exposed under her high ponytail. Maura wrinkled her nose as Jane's cold wet locks fell on her chest. "You looked like you were having fun," Maura said with a sweet smile.

"Yeah," Jane kissed Maura's neck and ruffled Lizzie's curls.

"I'm gonna take a shower 'cause I think there's sand in my butt," Riley said as she walked past them.

Jane laughed at her daughter's joke but her smile fell when Maura called Riley out. "Stop!" she said before Riley could walk into the house. "Dry off first, and get rid of all the sand, please."

Riley sighed and took the towel from the back of Maura's chair, drying herself off before walking inside. Jane gently patted Maura's back. "Scoot forward." 

Maura did as asked and Jane took place behind her, watching Maura leaning forward to lift Lizzie on the chair, moving her in between her legs so she could rest her back into Maura's front. The coloring book rested on Lizzie's upper legs and she just kept on working. "You know, this chair actually isn't designed for three people," Maura said with a content sigh.

Jane shrugged. "It's just two and a half."

"Mommy, what's for dinner?" Lizzie asked, coloring Alladin with a blue marker.

"I think we'll have chicken and rice, and we have some tomatoes," Maura replied, pulling Lizzie close into her as the girl moved to rest her back into Maura's front, the coloring book on her upper legs.

Lizzie nodded and seemed content with that answer, causing Jane to untangle one arm from around Maura's waist to smooth Lizzie's curls. "Did you have fun with Mommy, Liz?"

"Yeah," Lizzie said softly, but she was too occupied with her painting.

Maura smiled and leaned back, resting her temple against Jane's cheek as she soothingly rubbed Lizzie's belly. She sighed contently and closed her eyes, leaning back into Jane's front. "You feel deliciously cool," she said softly.

"What?"

"From the water, your skin is cool." Maura smiled and turned her head to place an open-mouthed kiss on Jane's cheek. "And delicious."

Jane hummed and placed a trail of kisses along Maura's neck and shoulder, eliciting a soft moan. "I can't wait until the girls are asleep."

Maura laughed. "Won't take too long for this one," she said with a light squeeze on her youngest daughter in her arms.

"Good," Jane smirked as she lightly nipped Maura's neck. "'Cause you're delicious too, doctor."


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Maura looked in the rearview mirror and saw Lizzie sleeping against Riley's upper arm, her mouth slightly open as her thumb had fallen out and was currently resting in her lap. Riley was equally exhausted and was staring out of the window.

Maura smiled and rested her hand on Jane's upper leg as the detective was driving them back to the beach house. "Disney World was an amazing idea, Jane," Maura said softly.

Jane hummed and looked at their girls in the rearview mirror. She smiled lovingly. "Yeah."

The girls had been running around all day, especially Lizzie was having the time of her life. Even though the cut on her foot still bothered her and would probably be hurting a lot more after today, she hopped around just as cheerful as ever. Riley was just immensely grateful to be taken to such a beautiful, magical place and soaked in every minute, more quietly than Lizzie who was her usual loud and feisty self.

Maura sighed contently and squeezed Jane's thigh, looking out of the window to the dark road in front of them. It was late and Lizzie fell asleep after the first five minutes of the drive, and frankly, Maura could do the same. She yawned and sighed in surprise when she suddenly saw a few thick raindrops dropping down on the windshield.

"Rain?" Jane breathed out annoyed. "Really?"

"It's actually very common this time of year," Maura replied, squinting her eyes to try and look at the sky, but it was too dark. "It'll relieve some of the humidity."

After a few minutes, it was like the sky broke open and streams of rain started pouring down. "Jane, be careful," Maura warned her wife, seeing that she wasn't slowing down. The road was awfully dark and abandoned and the lights of the car were shining against the rain, making it impossible to see any further than a few feet in front of them.

Jane hummed and slowed down, a focused look on her face as her eyes squinted to see where she was driving. "Crap," Jane whispered. "I just wanna go home."

"Yes, but I'd like us all to come home in one piece, Jane." Maura looked over her shoulder and saw that Riley was watching Jane intently and Lizzie was slowly opening her eyes.

"Mama, why's there rain?" Lizzie asked in a sleepy voice.

"I don't know baby," Jane replied, slowing down even further after another flash of rain hit the windshield. "But it's gonna be okay."

Lizzie nodded and put her thumb in her mouth, leaning back against Riley's upper arm. Maura smiled at the sight and leaned forward to try and see something, but everything was pitch black except for the lights of the car.

Just when the women thought it couldn't come down any harder, it was like a waterfall came out of the sky. It weren't just raindrops anymore; streams of water came down on the car and Maura heard the faint sound of thunder in the distance. Jane was driving at walking speed now and even that was dangerous.

"Mom, how is it raining this hard? It's summer!" Riley said, needing an explanation to ease her fear.

Maura turned around and smiled soothingly at her daughter. "It's very common in Florida, actually. The humidity causes the clouds to break out every now and then," Maura continued to give her daughter a scientific explanation about rain during the summer in Florida, and strangely enough that comforted Riley even though she didn't understand half of it.

Maura just finished her story when the entire car tilted to the right and bucked hard, eliciting high-pitched screams from the backseat. Jane hit the brakes so hard they all shot forward in their seatbelts and she was panting when the car stopped.

"Ma?" Riley called from the backseat, her voice laced with fear. "What was that?"

"Is everyone okay?" Jane called before answering, unbuckling her seatbelt to look over her shoulder.

Lizzie's eyes were wide and shimmered with tears and Riley had a look of pure terror on her face. Maura closed her eyes at the sight. "It's okay, my loves," she said softly. "We just drove into the bank of the road, that's all."

Jane was still panting and tried to accelerate, but the car was inevitably stuck. "Crap," Jane repeated in a soft whisper and Maura couldn't even glare at her wife for the use of language. She stepped on the gas and steered in the direction of the road, but the car wouldn't move.

"Mama?" Lizzie cried from the backseat, her voice small and scared.

Jane sighed and tilted her head back. "We're stuck," she said softly, but her words were cut off by Lizzie's squeal at a white flash of lightning, followed too quickly by a loud thunder.

"We can't go out and push the car in this weather," Maura said to her wife, not audible for the girls in the backseat.

"I can try," Jane replied, looking at her wife with a sad smile.

"No way, Jane." Maura's voice was strict and from the look on Jane's face, the brunette knew she shouldn't be trying it. "This road is completely empty and it's pouring down. It's not safe. We'll just wait until it blows over."

"That could take a while, Maur," Jane protested softly.

"I'd rather be waiting a while than putting you in danger, Jane."

Jane sighed and knew Maura was right. She turned around to the girls and smiled soothingly after turning off the engine. "I'm sorry, we're stuck in the sand on this side," she pointed to her side of the door, referring to the car that stood slightly tilted. "We're just gonna wait until the weather gets better and then we can push the car out, okay?"

Riley nodded and leaned back, fear still edged on her face. "Honey, the car is one of the safest places to be during a thunder storm. Lightning could strike over 1,4 million volt and we'd still be safe in here. We just have to stop the car, because it's not safe to drive like this."

"Okay," Riley seemed to be comforted by the explanation and Maura saw the girl relaxing a little more. She gently reached back to place her hand on Riley's knee and squeezed softly.

"We're going to be fine, my love." Maura turned her attention towards Lizzie, hoping she would be calmed down too, but tears were now slowly trickling down her cheeks and her face screamed fear. To make the whole thing worse, a loud thunder banged through the sky and Lizzie flinched and let out a loud sob.

"Mommy!" Lizzie cried out.

Maura unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to do the same with Lizzie's. "Come here, honey." She helped Lizzie climbing from the backseat and into her lap. The girl immediately snuggled in close, her face hiding in the crook of Maura's neck as her small legs rested on either side of Maura's waist and her right arm clutched Maura's neck. Maura soothingly rubbed her daughter's back and kissed her head. "It's just some thunder, honey. They're just clouds banging together."

"Why's the sky so angry?" Lizzie asked, her voice small and laced with tears.

Maura looked at Jane and saw her chuckling at the girl's question. "It's not angry, honey," Jane said with a smile and a light ruffle to Lizzie's curls. "It's just nature."

"Nature's stupid," Lizzie mumbled into Maura's hair, eliciting a laugh from both her mothers.

They stayed silent for a while as they listened to the rain beating down on the car, Maura soothingly rubbing Lizzie's back with one hand as the other was securely holding her wife's. Lizzie flinched and cried with every thunder and Maura sighed, feeling truly sorry for the girl. Lizzie had never liked thunderstorms and this was indeed a very bad one.

"You know what, baby?" Maura said softly after a sweet kiss on Lizzie's head, determined to distract the girl. "When we get home, we're going to get that picture of you and Peter Pan printed and we can frame it to put it in your room. Does that sound like a good plan?"

"Yeah," Lizzie said, not moving away from Maura's warm arms. "And the one with Mickey Mouse too?"

"Yes, we can frame that one too." Maura smiled and squeezed Jane's hand; happy to feel Lizzie was starting to calm down.

"I liked Mickey Mouse," Lizzie said, moving to rest her head against Maura's chest, playing with a button on Maura's blouse. "His voice is funny."

"I agree," Maura smiled lovingly and pulled her daughter close, loving how the little girl clung to her.

"I liked Pluto 'cause he's the biggest dog I've ever seen," Riley said as she scooted forward to lean in between the passenger and driver seat. "Like some crazy mutant dog on proteins."

Lizzie giggled and pulled her head away to look at Riley. "Yeah, he's silly. And a little scary." Lizzie laughed but flinched when another thunder rolled through the sky. She immediately hid her face back in the crook of Maura's neck and clutched Maura's blouse. "When's it gonna stop, Mommy?" she asked with a sad sob.

"Soon, my baby," Maura whispered barely audible above the sound of the pouring rain. "It'll stop soon." She rested her cheek against Lizzie's temple and looked to her side to see Riley staring outside, her chin resting on her arm on Jane's chair.

Jane smiled at her wife and smoothed Lizzie's curls for a moment before brushing Riley's hair back and placing a kiss on the girl's cheek. "You okay, honey?" she asked softly.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. Just tired. Not that crazy 'bout thunderstorms."

"You wanna sit in my lap?" Jane asked with a chuckle, referring to Lizzie who was clinging to her mother's lap in the passenger seat.

Riley laughed and looked at Lizzie but shook her head. "Nah, I'm good."

Maura chuckled and kissed the top of Lizzie's head, sighing deeply when she saw that the rain only grew stronger and would probably keep going for a while. She turned her attention towards her oldest daughter when she heard the girl yawning. "Go lie down, love," Maura said with a sweet smile and a stroke on Riley's cheek. "I'm afraid it'll take a while."

"But Mommy, you said soon!" Lizzie pulled away to look at her mother, her eyes wide in fear.

Maura sighed and brushed Lizzie's hair back. "I know honey, but I can't control the weather."

"That'd be cool, though," Riley said with a smile. "You could make sunshine, all the time everywhere."

"Nah, that's boring," Lizzie replied, slowly starting to forget her fear. "Mommy has to make snow too."

"Oh, yeah." Riley chuckled and looked outside, seeing the street lighting up with harsh lightning.

Maura flinched and pulled Lizzie into her chest, covering the girl's ears as another loud thunder startled them. When it faded away, she wrapped her arms back around her daughter and slowly rocked them back and forth. Lizzie started crying again and Maura sighed deeply.

"I wanna be a big girl," Lizzie said through her tears.

"Why's that, baby?" Maura asked with a smile.

"Big girls aren't scared of thunders."

Maura laughed and kissed her daughter's head, smiling when Lizzie snuggled closely into Maura's arms. "Some big girls are scared of thunderstorms, honey. Riley doesn't like them either."

"Who in the world _likes _thunderstorms?" Riley called from the backseat where she was lying on her back, her feet flat on the seat, her hands resting on her stomach. "And I'm not afraid of them."

Maura laughed and looked at her oldest daughter. "Your facial expression says otherwise, my love," Maura winked at the girl, knowing that the thunderstorm made her rather uncomfortable.

"Yeah- well, I'm just-... Acting like I'm scared so Lizzie doesn't feel alone."

"Nice try, kid," Jane smirked as she tilted her chair to get more comfortable. "There's no way to fool your mom in this."

"I don't feel alone!" Lizzie called out to Riley in the backseat, not really understanding the argument, but wanting to prove her sister wrong anyway.

"No you don't, 'cause I'm _acting _like I'm scared," Riley smirked, eliciting a playful slap from Maura.

"Noooo," Lizzie shook her head against Maura's shoulder. "'Cause Mommy's warm and soft."

Maura smiled proudly and felt tears burning in her eyes as she pulled her daughter as close as humanly possible. "I love you, baby girl," she whispered right before another thunder made the girl flinch. "Shh, it's okay, honey." Maura desperately tried to comfort her daughter, but Lizzie cried anyway.

Jane reached over to smooth Lizzie's curls and looked at them with sympathetic eyes. "Why does it scare you so much, Lizzie?" she asked softly.

The question only made Lizzie cry harder. Maura felt the girl's arm grabbing the collar of her blouse in her neck as the other rested on Maura's chest and occasionally wiped her cheeks. "'Cause it's the same as when I hid in the closet and you found me," she replied with a slight hiccup.

"Oh, baby…" Jane whispered, immediately knowing what Lizzie was talking about, unlike Maura who didn't understand Lizzie's confession.

"What?" she mouthed at Jane, questioningly raising her eyebrows.

"Liz, thunders aren't the same as what you heard that time," Jane said, turning to face Lizzie, who sat curled up in Maura's lap as her head rested on Maura's chest, looking at Jane.

Maura gasped at the realization. All Lizzie heard right now were loud banging noises coming from outside and it reminded her of how she hid in her closet while her parents were brutally shot downstairs. Lizzie didn't understand that her parents were shot; nobody had explained it to her in such details and Jane and Maura didn't want her to know it anyway. But Lizzie knew that something very bad happened that day, and the sounds she heard were terrifying for the little girl, even though she didn't know exactly what was happening.

"I know it sounds similar and they make you scared," Jane continued, gently wiping Lizzie's tears with her thumb, "but it's not the same, honey. It's not the same."

Lizzie nodded and sniffled, gripping Maura's blouse as another thunder startled her. "Not the same," the girl said softly.

"That's right, my love," Maura replied through her tears, rubbing the girl's back. "It's just thunder. Nobody's getting hurt."

"Did the banging hurt my daddy and mommy?" Lizzie asked after a short moment of silence.

Maura sighed and looked at Jane next to her, seeing a questioning look in the brunette's brown eyes. "Yes, honey. It did."

"Is the banging gonna hurt you and Mama?" Lizzie's voice was laced with such a great fear it broke Maura's heart. The girl was absolutely terrified that something or someone would be taking away her parents again.

"No, honey," Jane answered quickly, eager to take away the girl's fear. "Nobody's gonna hurt us. We're not going anywhere."

Maura pulled Lizzie comfortingly close and kissed the top of her head, feeling a tear trickling down her cheek. She couldn't make the promise that nothing would ever happen to the two of them. Jane would get hurt. She always did. She would get hurt during her work, she would be reckless and she would get hurt, Maura knew that. It caused an immense fear that sometimes seemed to strangle her, but she knew it. However, the knowledge that Jane would do anything in the entire world to come home to the three of them made the fear bearable. But Lizzie didn't have that. Lizzie was too young for that. All Maura could promise her was that they would never, ever leave her and that they would love her for as long as she lived. That was all she could do, and she did. She told Lizzie over and over again, holding her close as the girl cried and flinched with every rolling thunder, covering her eyes and ears at the sounds and sights she feared so much.

Maura shifted in her seat, keeping Lizzie securely wrapped in her arms, curled up in her lap. She looked at Riley on the backseat and saw the girl staring at them with pain in her eyes. She untangled one arm from Lizzie to caress Riley's cheek. "Are you okay, my love?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah. I'm just… I feel sorry for her."

Maura smiled and kissed the side of Lizzie's head. "Me too," she whispered.

"Maur," Jane said softly, turning her head as it leaned on the headrest, "maybe we should get going."

"The weather is only getting worse, Jane."

"I don't wanna spend a night in the car, Maura."

Maura sighed and pulled Lizzie close as they waited until a thunder subsided. "I don't want to spend a night in the hospital because lightning struck or you drive us into a tree because of poor sight." Maura's voice was a soft whisper and barely audible, and she kept her hands on Lizzie's ears after the thunder, not wanting to scare the girl.

Just when Jane was about to protest, a giant blow of wind threw the pouring rain against the windows of the car, followed by another lightning. Maura felt Lizzie's small hands resting on her mother's, both of them covering the girl's ears.

"Maur, are you sure this is safe?" Jane whispered softly.

Maura sighed. "Yes. The car is a safe place during a thunderstorm. It's not the best for rain and wind, but it's definitely safe from lightning."

"Mom, I'm so cold," Riley said from the backseat, hugging her knees to her chest as she shivered slightly.

"There's a blanket in the back of the car, I think," Maura replied, smiling sweetly at her oldest daughter.

"I'll get it," Jane sat up but Maura grabbed her arm.

"Jane," she protested.

"Don't worry, I'll be quick." Jane smiled and reached over to kiss Maura's lips before opening the door, hurrying outside to open the back, grabbing the blanket and Maura's sweater before running back, opening the door next to Riley and climbing back in. She handed the sweater to Maura and Maura gratefully took it, wrapping it around Lizzie and partially herself.

Jane smiled and was panting lightly. She threw the blanket around Riley and rubbed her arms, trying to get the girl warm. Riley however saw that her mother was wet from the few seconds she spent outside and stopped Jane, allowing her to wrap a part of the blanket around herself. Jane took the hint and relaxed against the backseat, taking Riley in her arms, wrapping the blanket around both of them. Riley snuggled in close and seemed happy to not be alone in the backseat any longer.

"This is crazy," Jane said as Riley rested her head on her mother's shoulder, her knees up as she leaned into Jane's arms. "This doesn't happen in Boston."

"It's kinda cool, though," Riley said with a chuckle. "And cozy. Like in a movie."

Jane laughed and kissed the top of Riley's head. "Aw, my sweet snugglebug."

"Okay, stop or you better go back in the front," Riley laughed and squirmed when Jane tickled her sides, but she relaxed back into Jane's arms when Jane hummed contently.

Maura smiled at the sight and covered Lizzie's ears at a loud thunder. Lizzie covered Maura's hands with her own again and lowered them when the thunder subsided, putting her thumb in her mouth as snuggled closely into Maura's arms, her head resting on Maura's shoulder, curled up into Maura's front as the blonde pulled her sweater higher, sneaking her arms under the sweater, around her youngest daughter, trying to get some warmth from the girl.

Lizzie sighed and nuzzled her face into the crook of Maura's neck. "I wanna be like Merida when I grow up. 'Cause her hair is curls too."

Maura smiled and kissed Lizzie's head, thinking about the fierce red-haired Disney princess. "You'd be a great Merida, honey."

"But I'm not a princess."

"You're my princess," Maura said with a loving smile. "Does that count?"

Lizzie grinned proudly, her thumb still in her mouth, an adorable sight that made Maura's heart swell with love. "Yeah," Lizzie said softly before closing her eyes. "But I don't wanna wear dresses."

"That's too bad," Maura whispered, truly feeling sad about that. She loved looking for dresses and outfits for Riley and she secretly hoped she would be able to do the same for Lizzie, but she knew that wouldn't happen. Even though she wasn't their biological daughter, Lizzie was a splitting image of Jane.

"Go to sleep, my baby," Maura said softly but her words were cut off by another loud thunder. Maura sighed but smiled when she felt Lizzie grabbing her hand and putting it over her ear, pressing her other ear firmly into Maura's chest. Maura kissed the top of Lizzie's head and pulled her close until the thunder faded. "Try to go sleep," Maura repeated. "I'm here, my love."

_A/N I'm slowly starting to end this story. A few more things will happen on the vacation, but I don't think this part will have more than 33 or 34 chapters. But! I'm not nearly done with this lovely family, so maybe I'll write another part. I'm about to set some things up in the next few chapters that could be interesting storylines for a next story. _

_Please let me know if you would like to read another story about this family, and please let me know what you would like to read! Storylines for Riley and Lizzie, for Jane and Maura, surprising turns… All suggestions are very welcome! _

_Thanks to all you lovely readers out there, this story is so very close to my heart and it means the world to me that you're staying with me through all of it. Thank you all! _


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Maur, I think it's okay to drive now, don't you think?" Jane whispered from the backseat where Riley was sleeping in her arms. It was still raining, but it wasn't pouring down anymore and the thunderstorm was slowly subsiding.

Maura hummed and kissed the top or Lizzie's head. "Maybe we should wait a little longer."

Jane chuckled at the sight of her wife and youngest daughter in the passenger seat, Lizzie sleeping curled up in Maura's lap, her thumb halfway out of her open mouth, her head snuggled into Maura's chest. "You just want more time with Princess Snuggle over there."

Maura smiled and rested her chin on top of Lizzie's head. "Maybe," she said with a shy laugh.

Jane laughed and kissed Riley's head before slowly shaking her shoulder. "Riley, honey wake up."

Riley let out a deep breath and grunted softly. It was nearly 1am and she was out like a light. "C'mon, we're gonna push the car out so we can go home."

"Five more minutes, Ma," Riley mumbled.

Jane sighed and playfully tickled Riley's side. "No, I wanna sleep in a bed. C'mon."

"Alright, alright," Riley said with a chuckle, "I'm coming."

"Maur, you wanna hit the gas for me?"

Maura reluctantly woke Lizzie up. "Lizzie, love," she said softly, "you have to wake up."

Lizzie sighed and only nuzzled closer into Maura's chest. "No," she mumbled.

Maura smiled and looked at Jane with a pleading look, but Jane tilted her head, knowing that if she allowed Maura to hold on to Lizzie, they wouldn't be home until the next day. Maura sighed and kissed Lizzie's head. "Yes, baby. Come on, you have to get back in the backseat."

"I wanna stay with Mommy," Lizzie mumbled softly.

Maura laughed and squeezed her daughter close. "Me too, Lizzie, but we have to push the car out so we can go home and get you to bed. Come on." Maura lifted Lizzie off her lap and handed her to Jane who helped her climb on to the backseat.

"Riley, you wanna give me a hand?" Jane asked her oldest daughter.

Riley nodded and opened the door on her side as Jane did the same on her side. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see in the dark and the pouring rain. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket to turn on a flashlight and inspected the wheels of the car that were stuck in the sand on the side of the road. "Okay, we just have to push it onto the road," she instructed Riley, who was holding her hands above her head in the rain.

"Maur!" Jane yelled, bracing herself to push the car.

Maura stepped on the gas and Jane and Riley pushed with all the force they had, and thankfully, the car moved rather easily. As the car was back on the road, Jane ran back to sit in the passenger seat, Riley to the backseat.

Maura drove them home as fast as she could, eager to get the girls to bed as soon as possible. Especially Lizzie was not very good at sleeping in, and was usually cranky when she didn't get enough sleep.

Maura parked the car at the back of the beach house and Jane turned around to see Lizzie had fallen back asleep. She smiled and opened the door, stepping out into the still heavy rain and opened Lizzie's door, gathering the girl in her arms, taking Maura's sweater from her wife and draping it over her daughter to cover her from the rain. She quickly walked inside as Maura and Riley followed them with their stuff.

"Mama?" Lizzie asked, slowly opening her eyes as Jane turned on the lights inside the house.

"Shh, we're gonna get you to bed, honey," Jane whispered, not wanting Lizzie to fully wake up.

Lizzie nodded and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck, snuggling into the embrace as she closed her eyes again. "I'm not tired," she mumbled, eliciting a sweet laugh from her mother.

"Of course you're not." Jane opened the bedroom door with her foot and walked towards the bed, hugging Lizzie close before gently putting her down on the bed, taking off her shoes and shorts before tucking her in, not bothering about pajamas.

She kissed Lizzie's forehead and smiled when the girl turned on her side, putting her thumb in her mouth as she was already falling back asleep. "Good night, my baby," Jane whispered. "I love you."

She closed Lizzie's bedroom door and walked back inside where Riley was making her way to her bedroom, her arms wrapped around herself to keep warm in wet clothes. Jane enveloped her in a quick hug and rubbed her back, trying to keep her warm. "Go get in some warm blankets," Jane smiled and brushed Riley's hair back.

Riley nodded and shivered. "Good night, Ma."

"Sleep well, honey."

"Ma?" Riley turned around, looking at Jane with a shy smile on her face. "Thanks for taking us to Disney World. I had a great time."

"You're welcome." Jane smiled lovingly at her daughter. "Now go to bed."

When she was finally in bed, both Jane and Maura fell asleep almost immediately. The night was too short and too early, Jane woke up hearing what was probably Lizzie fuzzing around downstairs. The girl would be fine for at least a half hour so the detective closed her eyes again and snuggled into Maura's side.

"What time is it?" Maura asked in an adorable sleepy voice.

Jane looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand and sighed. "Nine."

Maura hummed and wrapped her arms around her wife, moving Jane on top of her. "That's sleeping in for her."

"Not for me, though," Jane said softly, nuzzling her face into Maura's chest, breathing in her wife's scent as she kissed the blonde's collarbone. "At times like this, it's not that fun to have a five-year old kid."

"Hmm, I agree." Maura's voice was raspy and still sleepy. "But I still love her."

"Me too." Jane smiled and pulled away to press her lips against Maura's. "And you too. I love you the most in the entire world."

Maura smiled and rolled them over to lie on top of Jane, crashing their lips together in a heated kiss. Jane yelped in surprise but moaned when Maura deepened the kiss, sliding her hands under Jane's shirt. When they broke the kiss, gasping for air Jane smiled and looked deeply into Maura's hazel eyes. "I love you," she whispered as sincerely as she possibly could.

"I love you too, Jane," Maura replied softly, placing a tender kiss on Jane's lips, followed by many other light kisses.

"Maur, we can't," Jane said in a husky voice, feeling her wife's kisses arousing her.

"We can't what?" Maura asked with a smirk.

"Have sex." Jane sighed and pulled Maura down for another kiss. "Lizzie will come up in… I think a little less than ten minutes. I need more than ten minutes for that."

"Ten minutes is perfect for a good make-out," Maura said with a smile, pressing her lips back against Jane's.

Jane moaned and sighed deeply, enjoying her wife's taste, tangling one hand in Maura's hair as the other roamed under her shirt along her soft skin. Unfortunately, Jane was wrong about the ten minutes and they broke the kiss when Lizzie came stumbling up the stairs.

"That was only seven minutes," Maura whined with a sigh.

"You timed?" Jane smirked and kissed her wife one last time before Lizzie slowly opened the bedroom door.

"Mommy, my foot hurts." Lizzie said in a small, sleepy voice as she hopped into the bedroom.

"Oh, yes honey," Maura groaned and sat up, patting the edge of the bed to invite Lizzie to sit down. "You've walked on it a lot yesterday." She kissed Lizzie's curls and gently took her foot, removing the bandage to examine the cut. Jane saw that it wasn't torn open, but it was quite red around the edges. "It's not bad." Maura smiled and brushed Lizzie's hair back. "You need a shower, my love."

Lizzie wrinkled her nose. "No." She crawled further on the bed and snuggled in between her mothers.

Maura laughed and lay back down, stroking Lizzie's forehead as she looked lovingly at her youngest daughter. "Oh, I love you baby girl."

Lizzie smiled and put her thumb in her mouth after a deep sigh. "Yes honey," Jane whispered, "go to sleep." She winked at her wife and soothingly rubbed Lizzie's belly, something that usually lulled the girl to sleep. "Then we can finish our ten minutes."

Maura laughed and kissed Lizzie's temple, smiling happily when Lizzie closed her eyes. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the girl to fall back asleep, still exhausted after a long day of excitement and a very short night for a five-year old. When Jane was sure Lizzie was asleep, she took Maura's hand and pulled her off the bed, eliciting a high-pitched giggle when she dragged her out of the room and pressed her against the wall in the hall, crashing their lips together.

"Hmm, Jane…" Maura moaned into Jane's mouth, tangling her hands in Jane's hair as she pulled her close. They finished their ten minutes and many more, relishing in the taste of each other, enjoying a much needed make-out session.

Jane smirked as she felt a shiver running down Maura's spine and broke the kiss to rest her forehead against her wife's. "You're gorgeous, babe," she whispered in her husky voice.

Maura smiled and brushed Jane's hair back. "Not nearly as gorgeous as you are."

Jane chuckled and kissed her wife again. "So mushy."

"Hmm, your fault." Maura laughed and kissed the corner of Jane's lips before untangling herself. "Let's go prepare breakfast."

Jane let out a whining moan and threw her head back. "How come Lizzie gets to sleep in and I don't? Can't we just give the girls some cereal and sleep for another hour?"

Maura laughed and was already walking downstairs. "Lizzie won't be asleep for another hour, Jane. You know that. And this way, we can enjoy a quiet cup of coffee on the beach."

Jane hummed and had to agree with her wife. She followed her downstairs and watched the blonde as she prepared come coffee. Unfortunately, Jane's phone rang upstairs, unavoidably waking Lizzie. Jane groaned loudly. "No, no, no! Why did I forget to put that thing on vibrate?"

She ran upstairs and saw Lizzie sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes as her phone just stopped ringing. "I'm sorry, baby. Did the phone wake you?"

Lizzie nodded and yawned. "Yeah."

Jane lifted Lizzie off the bed, carrying the girl on her hip as she grabbed her phone on the way downstairs. "Alright, let's go see about breakfast, huh? Your mom's waiting downstairs."

Lizzie hummed and rested her head on Jane's shoulder, her thumb still in her mouth. Jane smiled and kissed Lizzie's head, carefully walking down the stairs, meeting Maura in the kitchen.

"Good morning, my love," Maura smiled brightly and kissed Lizzie's cheek before Jane put the girl on top of the kitchen counter. "Who called you, Jane?"

"Oh right," Jane remembered her phone in her hand and looked at the screen, but immediately fell silent when she saw the notification.

"Jane?"

"It's uhm…" Jane cleared her throat and looked at Maura. "It's my dad."

Maura looked at her wife with wide eyes, clearly surprised. "Well, he lives in Florida, doesn't he? Maybe he wants to visit. He's never even met the girls."

"Yeah, for a reason," Jane replied, feeling anger burning in her chest. "I haven't talked to him since our wedding. Why's he suddenly showing up now?"

"I don't know, Jane." Maura brushed Lizzie's curls back, keeping her focus on Jane. "And neither do you until you call him back."

"My dad has a habit of showing up when he needs something."

"You don't know that, Jane. Maybe he just wants to meet his granddaughters, or simply pay a visit to his daughter."

Jane sighed and knew Maura was right. If she didn't call him back, she'd never know. Reluctantly, she took her phone and let her thumb linger above the screen, still hesitating.

"Do it, babe," Maura said as she lifted Lizzie on her hip, walking towards Jane to give her a sweet kiss. "He's your father." She smiled at her wife and brushed Jane's dark hair back before turning her attention to Lizzie in her arms. "Let's get you showered before breakfast."

"No, Mommy," Lizzie whined.

"Don't whine, Liz." Jane corrected her daughter, not wanting Maura to have any trouble with her. "Listen to your mom."

Lizzie pouted but rested her head on Maura's shoulder, knowing that she shouldn't continue. Maura smiled and rubbed Lizzie's back as she mouthed 'call him' to Jane over the girl's shoulder.

Jane sighed and pressed 'call' on her phone. It only rang a few times until Frank picked up. "Janie," he greeted her. "Thanks for calling me back."

"Hi, Pop." Jane tried to be polite and sweet, but she couldn't help feeling a sting of hurt in her chest. She had spent most of her life trying to win her father's approval and it wasn't that long ago that she had given up. But hearing his voice, she felt the same way all over again. That need to please him, the responsibility of being the oldest kid, needing to give a good example… She knew she didn't have to, but she couldn't deny her feelings. "Why'd you call?"

"Well, I heard you're in Florida. Why didn't you tell me, Janie?"

"What?" Jane felt her anger growing as her voice rose. "I don't hear a single thing from you in years and you're asking me to inform you about our summer vacation?"

"Don't be like that, Jane."

Jane sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. "Why'd you call, dad?"

"I'd like to visit you," he answered more quietly. "Tommy told me you got kids and I'd like to meet them. That's not so strange, is it?"

"Not if you had contacted me more often, no."

"Come on, Janie. According to your brother, those kids are great. Let them meet their grandfather, alright?"

Jane took a deep breath and hesitated. She didn't want to deny her father the opportunity to meet his grandchildren, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to take the risk. She didn't know if her father was sober, and she didn't want to find out if he weren't. "Are you sober?"

"Come on, Janie. You know me."

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking. Are you still going to meetings?"

"I don't need 'em." Frank sighed and Jane knew that he was determined to visit them. "I'm fine, Jane. Let me meet my grandkids."

"Only if you're sober."

"I'm sober."

Jane sighed. "Alright. Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah," Frank answered and Jane heard the happiness and gratefulness in her father's voice. "Thanks, Janie." 

"Just don't make me regret it, alright?" Jane continued to give her father directions towards the beach house and hung up the phone, rubbing her forehead, still doubting if she made the right decision. She didn't like giving people second chances.

She walked to the bathroom upstairs and saw Maura helping Lizzie to dry her hair, mostly attempting to keep the girl in place as she bounced around. Jane smiled at the sight. Maura sighed and gave up, allowing Lizzie's hair to drip a little as she hopped to Jane and hugged her legs. "Mama, Mommy's gonna make my foot better with dinosaur bandages!"

Jane smiled and ruffled Lizzie's wet curls. "That's great, honey." She sighed and leaned down to kiss her daughter's head. "Go put on some clothes, alright?"

"Be careful, don't put weight on your foot!" Maura called after her. "And come to me later for fresh bandages!"

"Yah!"

Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around Jane's waist. "Why did he call?"

Jane sighed and buried her face into the crook of Maura's neck. "He's coming over for dinner tonight."

"He what?" Maura asked a little too harsh, pulling back to look at her wife.

"I'm sorry. He sounded so… I don't know… I mean," Jane hesitated, not finding the words she was looking for. She continued after a loving squeeze from her wife. "I can't deny him the opportunity to meet his grandkids."

"He does have great grandkids." Maura brushed Jane's hair back before pressing her lips against her wife's again.

"Are you mad?"

"No." Maura smiled reassuringly and stroked Jane's cheek with her thumb. "It's a little sudden, but I think you did the right thing. He should meet the girls, it'd be nice to have him over."

Jane nodded and buried her face back into Maura's curls. "But I swear to God, if he shows up with even the tiniest drop of alcohol in his blood, he's never coming back."

"I like to think he's an honorable man and still cares about his children. And therefore his grandchildren."

"Yeah," Jane whispered, kissing Maura's neck. "So did I."

"Let's give him a chance, Jane."

Jane nodded against her wife and felt Maura pulling her close. She sighed deeply and clung to her wife for a while, simple enjoying the blonde's familiar warmth, her delicious scent and strong arms.

"Mooooommmyy!" Lizzie called from downstairs. "I'm reeeaaadyyy!"

Maura sighed but Jane saw a smile in her eyes. She untangled herself from her wife and walked towards the stairs. "Shhh, be quiet honey, Riley is still sleeping."

Jane took a quick shower while Maura got out the dinosaur bandages for Lizzie. The detective was already nervous for tonight. Her father had told her many times that he was sober when he was not. Especially given Riley's past, she wouldn't want him to come near her if he was drinking again.

The afternoon came around too quickly. Riley slept in until noon and Lizzie had been playing peacefully all day, playing on the beach and having fun with her gifts from Disney World. Jane tried to talk Maura out of making a fancy dinner, but Maura couldn't resist and went grocery shopping anyway.

Right now Maura and Riley were preparing dinner and Jane was just walking around anxiously while Lizzie was playing with her new Mickey Mouse doll on the front porch.

"Jane, calm down," Maura said with a smile. "It's going to be fine."

Jane sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Maura and Riley cutting up vegetables. They stayed quiet for a while until Lizzie's voice called from outside.

"Mama! He's here!"

Jane hurried outside and stood on the front porch, taking a deep breath as she saw her father approaching the house. "Is that your daddy?" Lizzie asked, sitting on her knees in her chair.

Jane smiled down at her daughter and lifted her off her chair, carrying the girl on her hip, mostly just needing to have something on her hands. "Yes, it is, baby." Jane kissed the side of Lizzie's head and felt her stomach tying in knots.

"Hi, Janie," Frank greeted her as he stepped onto the porch.

"Hi, Pop." Jane smiled and wrapped one arm around him for a quick hug. She pulled back and looked at Lizzie on her hip, her lips curling up in a proud smile. "This is Lizzie."

"Nice to meet you, Lizzie." Frank smiled and held out his hand, shaking Lizzie's small hand that almost disappeared in his.

Jane noticed the paper bag in his other hand, immediately feeling fear when she saw the shape of it. "What'd you bring?"

"Oh, I know Maura loves wine so I brought some for dinner." Frank took a bottle out of the bag and offered it to Jane.

"Dad," Jane said softly, "I don't think we should open that tonight."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Frank waved his hand, brushing Jane's words aside. "Where's that other kid of yours?"

Jane sighed. "Inside." She walked into the kitchen, followed closely by her father.

"Hi, Frank." Maura politely greeted he father-in-law and dried her hands before shaking his hand. "Nice to see you. How are you?"

"Likewise. I'm fine, thanks." Frank smiled at her and averted his gaze to Riley who was standing uncomfortably in the kitchen.

"This," Maura rubbed Riley's back and smiled lovingly, "is Riley."

"Nice to meet you," Riley said politely, shaking his hands but looking away quickly. She had never been comfortable with meeting new people.

"You sure picked some beautiful kids, Janie," Frank said with a smile.

"We didn't pick them, dad."

"Isn't that how adoption works?"

"Okay, dinner's ready!" Maura said with a smile, eager to change the subject, seeing that Jane was getting angry.

"Mama, are we gonna eat outside?" Lizzie asked, still securely on Jane's hip.

"No baby, there's not enough room on the porch. And your mom made a too fancy dinner for a picnic." Jane kissed the side of Lizzie's head and put her on a chair.

"Wash your hands first, honey," Maura said while she put a salad on the table. "Frank, what would you like to drink?"

"Oh, I brought you a fine wine, Maura." He offered Maura the bottle and Maura looked insecurely to Jane, not sure what to do. Frank caught the look and averted his gaze to Jane. "I'm fine, Jane. I'll have some water."

Maura smiled and sighed in relief, filling a glass of water and putting it in front of Frank. Dinner started peacefully. Jane was mostly catching up and Frank asked the occasional question that Lizzie eagerly answered, always wanting to be a part of the conversation. Riley had been quiet and Jane saw that she was incredibly insecure.

"So, how'd they get here?" Frank asked after taking a bite of his salad.

"What do you mean by that?" Maura replied politely.

"How'd the kids get here?"

"Through fostering at first, and then we moved on to adoption." Maura smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind Riley's ear next to her.

"They don't have parents?" Frank asked, looking at Lizzie who was sitting next to Jane.

"We're their parents," Jane replied, feeling a little annoyed that he was asking these questions in front of the girls.

"Yeah, I know but I mean, before."

"My biological parents are dead," Riley answered softly but quickly. "And so are Lizzie's."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." Frank sighed and Jane saw that his words were sincere. "That must've been hard."

Riley nodded and turned her attention back to her food, clearly not wanting to discuss this any further, but Frank didn't pick up on that hint. "What happened to them?"

"Dad, she doesn't wanna talk about it," Jane said softly, looking at Riley who seemed to have shrunk three inches in her chair. She averted her gaze to Lizzie and was happy to see the girl eating her chicken, not really listening to the conversation.

"Why not?"

"Because I say so, Pop." Jane's voice was urgent and strict, noticing that Riley was starting to get upset. She knew her father meant well and was just interested in the girls, but it annoyed her anyway.

"Don't be rude, Janie. I'm your father."

"Well, you sure haven't been acting like it," Jane mumbled angrily, eliciting a warning glare from Maura.

"I'm here now," Frank said, pointing his hands at the filled dinner table.

"Giving my kid a hard time," Jane said softly, but her voice screamed anger.

"I'm just interested, that's all!" Frank put his fork down and looked at Riley again. "How long have they been dead?"

"Not very long," Riley answered softly, moving her food around on her plate.

"You miss 'em?"

"Frank, Riley doesn't like to talk about her parents," Maura interrupted, trying her best to be polite. "Please just let it rest?"

Frank nodded and held up his hands in defense. "Alright, I won't ask. What about Lizzie here?"

"Her parents were killed a few months ago, I met her on the job. Let's talk about something else, okay?" Jane said, brushing Lizzie's curls back as she watched the girl picking a piece of chicken with her fingers.

"Don't pick your food with your fingers, baby," Jane said with a smile.

Frank laughed softly and looked at his daughter. "Motherhood looks good on you, Janie."

Jane smiled and was about to thank him when she looked at Riley sitting opposite her, sadly surprised to see silent tears trickling down the girl's cheek. Soon, Maura noticed that Jane was looking at Riley and she looked next to her and gasped softly. "My love," she whispered as she reached out to wipe the girl's tears but Riley flinched and leaned away.

"I'm sorry, I need to-…" she swallowed and stood up from her chair. "Excuse me."

Jane sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Thanks, dad."

"What did I do?" Frank asked loudly, eliciting an angry look from his daughter, not wanting to scare Lizzie.

"Jane, it's not his fault," Maura said softly, looking pained as her daughter closed her bedroom door.

Jane sighed deeply. "Yeah, it never is."


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

"Thanks for dinner," Frank said as she shook Maura's hand and gave Jane a hug. "I'm sorry about Riley."

"She'll be fine," Maura assured him with a smile, but she wasn't sure about that herself. "Lizzie, come say goodbye."

Lizzie walked out the front door and stood closely next to Jane, feeling the tension in the room as she hid partially behind Jane's leg. "Bye."

"Bye, Lizzie." Frank smiled.

"I'm going to check on Riley," Maura said with a light squeeze to Jane's arm, not wanting to be polite to Frank any longer. She knew Jane would give him a piece of her mind. Frank should've saved those questions to ask Jane and Maura in private, not harass her daughters with them. She left it up to Jane to tell him that.

Maura turned around to walk back inside, softly knocking on Riley's bedroom door. "Honey? Can I come in?"

"Yeah," Riley answered, her voice soft and laced with tears.

Maura opened the door and saw Riley sitting on the floor, her back to the side of her back, her legs flat in front of her as tears were falling down her cheeks. Maura sighed and slowly sat down next to the girl, mirroring her position. "Do you want to tell me what upset you?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't know." She sighed deeply and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry for ruining dinner."

"You didn't ruin dinner, my love," Maura said with a smile, tucking a strand of hair behind Riley's ear. "If anyone did, your Ma's father did. He was being rather rude and invasive."

Riley nodded and leaned her head on Maura's shoulder. Maura was happy to feel her daughter's need for affection and wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her close into her side. She kissed Riley's head and saw that tears were still trickling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for getting upset," Riley said softly.

"Stop apologizing, honey," Maura replied, rubbing Riley's upper arm. "You never, ever have to apologize for begin upset. You don't have to say sorry for the way you're feeling."

Riley nodded against her mother and sniffled slightly. "I'm just afraid he hates me now."

"Who, Frank?"

"Yeah," Riley whispered and her breath hitched in her throat.

"Oh, he doesn't hate you, honey." Maura smiled and wiped Riley's tears with her thumb. "He's not… He's not always a pleasant man, but he loves his daughter, and therefore his granddaughters."

"Ma's a little like him," Riley said softly with a slight smile.

"Not pleasant?"

"No!" Riley laughed and wiped her cheeks. "No, I mean… fierce. But Ma's sweet like grandma."

Maura smiled and pulled her daughter close. "She is."

They stayed silent for a few moments before Lizzie came hopping into the room. "Hey, honey. Did Frank leave?" Maura smiled at her daughter, purposely using the name 'Frank' instead of grandfather. She didn't know why, but after he upset Riley, she didn't want him to be her kids' grandfather and she had a feeling he won't be seeing them much anyway.

"Yep." Lizzie walked towards the bed, still only using the heel of her left foot as she sat down in Maura's lap. "Is he our grandpa?"

Maura sighed and wrapped her arms around the girl in her lap. "Yes, honey. Technically, he is. He used to be married to Grandma Angela."

Lizzie giggled at that information. "Noooo," she said with a smile.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Maura asked, looking surprised.

"'Cause Grandma is sweet! He's a little mean 'cause he makes Riley cry."

Riley laughed and wiped her eyes. "It's not his fault, Liz."

Lizzie looked at her sister and rested her head on Maura's chest. "Then why'd you cry?"

Riley smiled and Maura saw fresh tears forming in her eyes. "I don't like to talk about my parents. It makes me sad."

Lizzie nodded. "Me too. 'Cause I miss them. Makes me cry."

"Yeah," Riley whispered, averting her gaze towards her hands in her lap. "I know."

Maura pulled Lizzie close and kissed the top of her head while she wiped a tear from Riley's cheek. "My old mommy said crying's good 'cause it makes ya feel better," Lizzie said, still looking intently at her sister. "Do you feel better?"

Riley smiled and wiped her tears, but they just kept on falling. "Not yet," she whispered through her tears.

Lizzie nodded like she exactly understood why. "You have to cry a little more and then you're gonna feel better." She grinned proudly, clearly impressed by her own psychological insights. "And Mommy will give you hugs and kisses."

Maura laughed and felt tears burning in her eyes at the interaction between her daughters. She kissed the top of Lizzie's head and pulled her close before wrapping one arm around Riley. "You know my love, your little sister is very smart."

Riley laughed but a light sob interrupted it. She covered her face with her hands and snuggled into Maura's side. Maura sighed and smoothed Riley's brown hair on her back. "I love you, sweetheart," she whispered softly.

After another heartbreaking sob from Riley, Lizzie reached her hand and stroked her sister's hair. "'S gonna be okay, Riley."

Riley lowered her hands and smiled at her sister. "Thanks," she mumbled as she wiped her cheeks and sniffled.

"Mommy, you gotta give more hugs and kisses," Lizzie said, looking up at her mother.

Maura laughed at her youngest daughter and pressed her lips against the girl's forehead, overwhelmed by the love for this wise little girl. "No Mommy, not me!" Lizzie giggled. "Riley!"

"Oh, yes of course," Maura laughed, moving to kiss Riley's cheek, pulling her close. Riley smiled and sniffled as she buried her face in the crook of Maura's neck, her cries slowly subsiding in her mother's arms. "I love you, my beautiful baby girls."

"Love you too, Mommy." Lizzie snuggled into Maura's chest, wanting to be a part of the embrace. "You and Mama are the best mommies 'cause you make the cries better."

"Oh, thank you baby," Maura smiled brightly and pulled her daughters close, only now seeing that Jane was standing in the doorway.

"You're having a snuggle party without me?" Jane asked with a smile. She stepped forward and kissed Maura's lips before looking at Riley. "You okay, honey?"

Riley nodded and lifted her head to look at Jane. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry about my dad. He shouldn't have asked."

Riley shrugged. "It's okay. I'm gonna have to learn to deal with it at some point."

"Why? If you don't want to talk about it, you don't. And everyone should respect that." Jane smiled and caressed Lizzie's curls before reaching her hands to help Riley up. "C'mon, you wanna play some beach soccer?"

"Yeah." Riley allowed Jane to pull her up and wiped her cheeks as she allowed her mother to envelop her in a tight hug.

"I love you, Riley," Jane whispered softly, rubbing Riley's back.

"Love you too." Riley smiled and took a deep breath, composing herself as she straightened her back. "Race ya to the beach?" She grinned and quickly took off, running around the bedroom.

"Not fair!" Jane called after her, immediately following her daughter.

"I wanna play soccer too, Mommy," Lizzie said softly. Her tone wasn't whiny or pushy and she was genuinely sad.

"I know, my baby." Maura kissed Lizzie's curls and lifted her off the floor. "We can cheer Mama and Riley on though, does that sound fun?"

Lizzie shrugged and wrapped one arm around Maura's neck as the blonde carried the girl on her hip, to the beach to sit in the lounge chair. It didn't take long for Lizzie's mood to turn around and she was cheering her mother and sister on like she was at a football game. Maura smiled brightly and pulled Lizzie close, kissing the top of her blond curls as the girl sat in between her mother's legs.

"Riley's the best soccer player," Lizzie said in between cheers.

"She's quite talented, isn't she?" Maura replied with a proud smile, watching her daughter's skilled legs taking the ball from Jane.

"Yep." Lizzie nodded and leaned back into Maura's arms, clearly tired after an awfully short night and a busy day.

"We're going to put you to bed soon, honey," Maura said softly, gently rocking them back and forth. She knew it would be easier to put the unruly girl to bed if it was announced ahead of time.

"I'm not tired," Lizzie said automatically.

"Stop saying that every time, Lizzie," Maura answered in a strict tone. "You're going in ten minutes, okay?"

Lizzie sighed, still looking at Riley and Jane playing soccer. "Okay, Lizzie?" Maura asked again, needing the girl to agree.

"Okay, Mommy."

"Good." Maura smiled and pulled the girl close for a moment. "I love you, my baby," she whispered.

They stayed silent for a while, enjoying the early evening sun, the ocean-air and the sight of Jane and Riley engaged in competitive soccer play. Lizzie's thumb slowly went into her mouth after five minutes and she relaxed into Maura's arms, resting her head back against Maura's chest, as her eyelids were getting heavy. Maura concluded a five-year old wouldn't know the difference between five or ten minutes, and decided it was bedtime.

"Bedtime, my love," Maura said with a sweet smile and surprisingly enough, Lizzie nodded and turned around to wrap her arms around Maura's neck, allowing the doctor to pick her up. "You want to say goodnight to Mama?"

"Yeah." Lizzie pulled her thumb from her mouth. "Mamaaaaaa!"

"Yeah!" Jane stopped the ball and looked over at Lizzie, securely on Maura's hip.

Maura gestured that it was bedtime, causing Jane to take a quick sprint towards the two of them. She kissed Lizzie's cheek and stroked her curls. "Sleep well, baby."

"'Night, Mama."

Maura smiled and pulled Jane in for a quick but loving kiss and looked deeply into her dark eyes for a moment, saying 'I love you' with just a look. Jane smiled back and kissed Maura's lips again before taking off to continue her play with Riley. "Love you!" she called over her shoulder.

Lizzie rested her head on Maura's shoulder as she carried her daughter inside, towards the bathroom upstairs to brush the girl's teeth and finish their nightly routine. The whole thing was surprisingly easy, probably due to the fact that the five-year old was beyond exhausted. Lizzie was in bed rather quickly, teeth brushed, pajamas on, hair brushed; all settled.

Maura sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Lizzie's hair back, stroking the girl's forehead. Lizzie looked up at her with her light brown eyes that showed a childlike naivety. Maura smiled and pressed her lips against Lizzie's forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."

Lizzie smiled up at her mother. "Mommy? Can I swim in the sea tomorrow?"

Maura sighed and smoothed Lizzie's curls. "Tomorrow morning, we're going to check if the cut is healed, and if I say it's healed well enough, we're going to swim in the ocean. Does that sound like a good plan?"

Lizzie nodded and put her thumb in her mouth, causing Maura to flinch but she smiled lovingly at the sight of her adorable youngest daughter. She was allowed to suck her thumb at night, but Maura wanted to work towards no thumb sucking at all. However, Lizzie was utterly adorable and she stole Maura's heart over and over again.

"Okay, goodnight, my sweet, beautiful baby."

Lizzie giggled at Maura's heartfelt mush, her thumb still in her mouth. "G'night, Mommy."

Maura kissed Lizzie's forehead and stood up from the bed, filling a glass of wine in the kitchen before walking out on the beach, where Jane and Riley were lazily kicking the ball back and forth, clearly losing energy.

Maura chuckled at the sight and put her cup down on the table before lifting the beach chair a little closer to the house, not wanting to be too far away while Lizzie was sleeping. She walked back to grab her glass and relaxed in the chair, softly tracing the cup with her fingers as she closed her eyes, breathing in the ocean-air.

She had needed this. She needed a vacation, some time away with her girls and wife. No interruptions from work, Riley's school or Lizzie's kindergarten… Just the four of them. If heaven existed, Maura was sure it would be looking a lot like this.

Lizzie would be turning six late September, so she'd be starting first grade after summer. Riley would start sophomore year in high school, and Jane and Maura would be going back to work full time at the same time. They would go back to work a day after they got back to Boston, but both of them would work fewer hours so they were able to spend more time with the girls while they still had summer vacation. They only had one week left at the beach house and Maura was determined to enjoy every single minute of it.

She sipped her wine with closed eyes and a small smile curling her lips. She heard Riley's giggles and Jane's low, husky voice making playful fun of the girl. Maura smiled to herself, feeling butterflies tickling her stomach at the sound of her wife's voice. Jane's voice made her fall in love with the detective all over again. Jane's voice had the ability to turn her into putty, to arouse her beyond belief and make her feel more loved than anyone else could. Jane's voice did things to her the doctor would never admit to anyone.

After a few minutes, Riley's giggles faded and Maura opened her eyes to see them walking back to the house. Jane smiled at her wife and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"Mom, can I have potato chips?" Riley asked, putting the ball down on the front porch.

Maura pursed her lips, but one look at Riley's skinny legs and boney shoulders made up her mind. "Yes, please. That's a good idea. Just take the ones I bought yesterday, they contain less salt."

Riley chuckled. "Since when are you so happy about the idea of me eating potato chips?"

"Since you have to put on weight."

Riley's smile fell and Maura worried if she'd said something wrong. "Just because you're a little too skinny, sweetheart. You're the prettiest girl in the world, I just know your BMI is too low and we have to get it up above 18, preferably above 20."

Riley's expression turned blank and she tilted her head. "I don't know what that means… But sure, I'll eat potato chips until I'm above 20." She smirked, a smirk that was awfully similar to Jane's.

Maura laughed and reached out one arm to pull Riley down into a quick hug. "Good girl." She kissed her daughter's cheek and patted her arm. "Go to bed on time, okay? You're tired."

Riley nodded. "You want some too?"

"Chips? No thank you," Maura answered with a smile.

"Can you grab me a beer from the fridge, though?" Jane asked as she stood closely next to Maura.

"Of course."

"Scoot over," Jane placed her hand on Maura's shoulder but Maura didn't move.

"No, come here." She smiled and pulled Jane down to sit in between her legs, which the brunette happily did.

"Switching things up, huh?" She smirked and leaned back into Maura's front.

Maura hummed and caressed her wife's toned stomach, slowly pushing up her tank top to feel the detective's skin. She placed light kisses on Jane's shoulder and smiled into the crook of her wife's neck. "You smell wonderful, Jane."

"Yeah, like sweat and beach sand?"

"No, like my shampoo and _you._" Maura smiled and kissed Jane's neck. "I love the smell of you."

"Mush-alert," Jane said softly with her typical grin.

"Oh, you love it."

Jane was about to respond, but Riley came back with a drink for herself, potato chips and a beer for Jane. She sat down in the sand next to the chair and got out her phone, probably texting Sarah.

"Thanks, baby." Jane turned off the cap and gratefully took a sip. "How's Sarah?"

"Good. Bored, though."

"I thought she was going to Spain with her family?" Maura asked, turning her head look at Riley.

"Yeah, but that's two weeks from now."

"We could've asked her to visit," Maura said, knowing Riley missed her friend. She missed someone to talk to, someone her own age.

"Could've. Too late now," Riley smiled and took a sip of her drink before turning back to her phone.

"Hey, who's that?" Jane said, pointing to the right where a guy was walking up to the house.

"I don't know," Maura answered, resting her cheek against Jane's temple from behind. There weren't any other houses nearby and during the day there were several visitors, but never much.

"Oh, that's Alex," Riley said, suddenly smoothing her hair and swallowing a chip.

"Alex?" Jane looked at her daughter, feeling confused.

Riley nodded. "Hm hm." She stood up and smiled at the boy. "Hey."

"Hi," he looked quite shy, he was a little taller than Riley, probably a little older as well. His hair was black, and according to his skin color, he was probably some kind of Indian.

"Mom, Ma, this is Alex."

Alex politely shook their hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Jane smiled at him but Maura saw hesitation in her wife's attitude. "I'm detective Jane Rizzoli and this is my wife doctor Maura Isles." 

Maura giggled slightly and shook the boy's hand. Jane didn't usually introduce herself as _detective_ Jane Rizzoli unless she was working. She clearly wanted to leave a certain impression.

"Where did you two meet?" Maura asked, eager to know how this boy knew her daughter.

"I was kicking the ball around on the beach yesterday and he walked by. We got talking." Riley shrugged, begging Jane to be cool with the look in her eyes.

Maura smiled and squeezed her wife close who was still sitting in between her legs. "Would you like something to drink, Alex?"

"Yes, thank you." He smiled politely but fumbled with the hem of his blue T-shirt.

"I'll get some," Jane patted Maura's legs and stood up. "Soda fine?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Sit down, Alex," Riley patted the spot in the sand next to her, inviting the boy to sit down, which he shakily did. "Potato chip?"

"No, thanks." He smiled at her and Maura could tell by the smile on her daughter's face that she definitely liked his smile.

"So, Alex, are you here with your family?" Maura asked, turning in the chair to face the two teenagers.

"Yeah, it's just me and my dad," he answered. "We're in a smaller house on the other side over there." He pointed towards the back of their beach house.

"His parents are divorced," Riley explained to her mother. "They adopted him as a baby. Named him Alex. His biological mom named him Balaji. That means 'strength'. Isn't that cool?"

Maura laughed and was slightly surprised that Riley has gotten to know so much about this boy in such a short time. "That's cool, yes."

"My official name is Alex, though," Alex smiled up at Maura, slowly getting less insecure. "But I like to remember my original name. Reminds me where I come from."

"India is a beautiful country," Maura said with a smile.

Jane came back with Alex' drink and handed it to him. "India huh? You were born there?"

"Yeah, adopted when I was a baby. My mom is from New York, she moved to Worcester to marry my dad. And then divorced him seven years later."

"Are you from Worcester as well?" Maura asked him. She liked him so far. He wasn't pushy or too self-confident. He seemed modest and genuinely nice.

"Yeah. Born and raised."

"Isn't that cool?" Riley said with a bright smile. "That's only like, thirty minutes away from Boston, right?"

"Well, more like an hour, probably an hour and a half with traffic…" Maura smiled when her daughter's smile fell. "But it's rather close, yes."

"Told you," Riley playfully nudged Alex' shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." Alex smiled and took a sip of his drink.

Riley laughed and looked up at her mothers. "Is It okay if we go take a walk for a while?"

"A walk?" Jane asked, raising her eyebrows but Maura slapped her leg.

"Yes, honey. Just don't go too far, okay?"

"'Kay." Riley stood up, helped up by Alex and they walked away towards the shore.

Maura pulled Jane back down in between her legs, resting back into their original position. "He seems nice."

"He does, doesn't he?" Jane said, but her voice sounded disapproving.

"Oh, you really don't like the fact that he's nice, do you?" Maura laughed and kissed the spot behind Jane's ear.

"No," Jane said with a grunt. "But I like it better than when boys are mean to her."

Maura smiled and rested her chin on Jane's shoulder, watching Alex and Riley walking into the distance, talking and laughing comfortably.

"She looks relaxed," Maura said softly.

"Yeah. I'm glad."

Maura continued her trail of kisses along Jane's neck and shoulders, her hands slowly finding the soft skin of her wife's toned stomach. She hummed contently and rested her cheek against Jane's temple. "I love you, Jane," she whispered.

"I love you too, Maur." Jane smiled and turned her head to capture Maura's lips in a loving kiss, but broke it too quickly to Maura's taste.

Maura chuckled when she saw Jane eagerly turning her attention back to Riley and Alex. "Oh, you're adorable, Jane."

"What?" Jane smirked and relaxed into Maura's front. "I'm badass."

"An adorable badass, yes. And I love you for it. More than anything or anyone in this entire world." Maura kissed Jane's neck and pulled her impossibly closer. "I love you so much, Jane. So, so very much."

"Damn Maura you trying to make me cry?" Jane mumbled before turning sideways into Maura' front, nuzzling her face into the crook of Maura's neck, placing light kisses on it. "I love you, Maur."

Maura smiled and moaned softly at her wife's kisses on her neck. She turned Jane so she was facing her, straddling her lap. She captured her lips in deep kiss and tangled her hands into Jane's curls that were tied up in a ponytail. They kissed slowly and lazily, simply enjoying the closeness, the taste of each other and the nightly beach air. When they broke the kiss, Jane was panting and smiling at her wife. "I think it's time to send Riley to bed so I can take you to bed."

Maura laughed and pulled Jane back down in a close embrace, looking over her wife's shoulder to see what Riley was up to. She saw the girl squealing and running away from Alex who was splashing water at her. She smiled at the sight, causing Jane to turn around and watch the two of them as well.

"Maybe we'll give her a little longer," Maura whispered, leaning her chin on Jane's shoulder. "She's happy."


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"I wanna stay, Mama," Lizzie said with a pout as she took a sip of her milk. The family was leaving the beach house in two days and Lizzie had just learned that fact. Turned out she didn't understand 'the day after tomorrow', but 'two more sleeps' did the trick.

"I'm sorry, baby. I want to stay too, but we have to go home," Jane smiled and stroked Lizzie's curls before turning back to making a real Italian tiramisu. She wasn't as good as it as Maura, but she did it the way her grandmother did and according to the detective, that was the best way.

"I want to move here!" Lizzie said, jumping up as if that was the greatest idea in the world.

Jane laughed. "You'd get bored here, Liz. Maybe we'll come back with our next vacation."

"When's that?"

"Uhm… Christmas?" Jane smiled at her youngest daughter and kissed the top of her head on her way to grab a pack of ladyfingers.

Lizzie pouted and took a bite of her cookie, seeming lost in thought for a while. "Where's Riley, Mama?"

"On the beach with Alex."

Lizzie crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked angry. "She's always with Alex! I wanna play with Riley too!"

"Yeah baby, but Riley likes to play with her friends over here too. She'll play with you when we get home."

"No she's not. She's gonna play with Alex 'cause she likes him better." Lizzie pouted and Jane fought the urge to scoop the girl up in her arms.

"No, honey. She loves you." Jane smiled but she knew Lizzie was disappointed. Riley had been spending a lot of time with Alex. The two had an amazing connection and Jane tried to interrogate her about a possible love-connection, but Riley claimed they were just friends.

Jane hadn't admitted it yet, but she liked Alex. He was nice to Riley, he was polite to her and Maura and he made her daughter laugh. Even though Riley said they were just friends, Jane saw her daughter's face lighting up whenever he looked at her, smiled at her or talked to her. Riley liked Alex. And Jane didn't mind. He was treating her daughter well and Riley seemed happy.

Lizzie finished her cookie and Jane saw her suppressing a yawn. The girl was swimming in the ocean all day, running around on the beach, having the time of her life, and she was exhausted by the end of the day. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but Jane was pretty sure Lizzie needed to get some more rest after this vacation.

"I'm gonna go to Mommy," Lizzie said, squirming off her chair.

"Give her a kiss from me." Jane smiled at her daughter who was on her way to Maura on the beach.

"Kay!"

Through the window, Jane saw Lizzie running towards Maura who was sunbathing on a large towel, lying on her front. When she heard Lizzie coming, she opened her eyes and moved over so Lizzie could lie next to her. Lizzie kneeled to kiss Maura's cheek, "from Mama," she said.

Maura closed her eyes at the touch and smiled brightly when Lizzie lay on her back next to her and told her mother something, eliciting a sweet laugh from the blonde. Jane smiled to herself, turning back to her dessert, hoping to get it done quickly so she would have some quality time before dinner.

After a few minutes Riley walked back to the house, greeting Maura and Lizzie on her way as she walked inside. Lizzie was still lying on her back, but she had her feet in the air and was telling an apparently amazing story as Maura looked at her with all the love in the world.

"Hey, honey," Jane greeted Riley with a smile. "Did you have fun with Alex?"

Riley nodded and grabbed a glass from the cabinet before filling it with juice. "Yeah. He's leaving tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Jane looked at her daughter who sat down on the edge of the dinner table and saw genuine disappointment in her expression. "You two are getting along well, aren't you?"

Riley smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, you can Facetime, and call and text… And you only have one day left here without him."

"I know." She smiled and took a deep breath, looking at the glass in her hands while Jane worked in the kitchen. "I just don't want to leave what we… what's here, you know?"

"Yeah," Jane smiled at her daughter. "I know. You've created your own little world and you don't know if it'll be the same back home."

"Yeah, exactly. I don't even know if he will be the same. People are different on vacation."

"Yeah, but it's not like their personality changes." Jane sprinkled some cacao on the tiramisu while she looked at Riley. "He might act a little different, but he's still the same person."

Riley seemed to think about that for a while and her expression softened. "I hope so."

"It's gonna be okay, baby," Jane said softly as she put the tiramisu in the fridge. "Besides, you'll have some time to play with Lizzie tomorrow. She's pretty disappointed you're not spending every free minute with your sister."

Riley chuckled and took a sip of her drink. "She doesn't seem bored," she said, looking out of the window at Lizzie and Maura on the beach. Maura was sitting up with Lizzie in between her legs, tying Lizzie's unruly curls into a ponytail so it wouldn't be in her face all the time.

"No, but she misses you," Jane said with a smile, sitting down on the edge next to Riley.

"She does?" Riley turned her head to look at her mother, looking happily surprised.

Jane smiled and wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulders, pulling her into her side. "Yeah." She kissed the top of her daughter's head and smiled when Riley snuggled into her arms. "And your mom and I too," she whispered softly.

"Oh," Riley's voice sounded sad and disappointed, causing Jane to smile and pull her daughter close.

"We understand you'd rather spend time with Alex, honey. We don't mind."

"I don't-… I…" Riley sighed deeply and rested her head on Jane's shoulder. "It's an amazing vacation. With and without Alex."

Jane hummed and kissed Riley's brown hair. "I agree."

"I'm sad we're leaving tomorrow," Riley said with a slight smile. "But I'm happy to get back home. I miss my bed."

Jane laughed and pulled her daughter into her side. "Why? Your bed here isn't comfortable?"

Riley shrugged. "Not as comfortable as home."

"Oh yes, no place like your own bed, right?" Jane smiled and stood up to head outside. "You up for some soccer?"

"Nah, I think I'm gonna take a shower before dinner."

"Okay." Jane smiled and walked outside where Lizzie was giggling as she was playing with some sand, adding some water to make a ball of it in her hands.

Jane sat down behind Maura who was sitting up and watching Lizzie. She wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and kissed her neck from behind. "Hey gorgeous," Jane whispered.

Maura chuckled and turned her head to kiss the corner of her wife's lips before leaning back into Jane's front. Jane furrowed her brow when she heard Maura coughing loudly. "You okay, babe?"

"My throat hurts," Maura said softly, sounding a little hoarse as she coughed again. "I'm taking a lot of extra vitamin C, but I think I'm coming down with nasopharyngitis."

"That ends with –itis, Maur. That can't be good."

"It's a common cold."

"Oh. Well.. Why do you always have to make stuff like that sound so scary?"

Maura chuckled and coughed again. "Seriously, Maur, are you okay?"

"Yes, can you grab me a cough drop from over there?" Maura pointed towards a bag on the right.

Jane grabbed the box and handed it to her wife, who gratefully took it. "Does this mean I can't kiss you?" Jane whispered into Maura's ear.

"I'd be careful for a few days, to make sure it's nothing worse," Maura replied with a smile.

"Can I…. Do other things with you?"

Maura slapped Jane's arm on her stomach and giggled. "Yes. As long as we don't exchange any saliva."

Jane wrinkled her nose and groaned. "Only you can make kissing sound like something gross."

Maura laughed and turned her attention back to Lizzie who added too much water to whatever she was making, and was now just playing with mud. "Oh, honey, why are you making such a mess? Look at your bathing suit!"

"C'mon, Maur," Jane whispered. Lizzie was smeared but she was wearing a content smile on her face. "She's having fun."

Maura sighed and bit her lip, fighting to correct her daughter. "Mommy, I'm making soup!"

"Soup?"

"Yeah, this is the soup," Lizzie pointed at a pile of mud on the right, "and this is the strings," she said as she held up her left hand with wet sand. "But it's not done yet."

"That's great, baby," Jane said with a proud smile. "You're a great cook, just like your mom."

Lizzie grinned proudly and continued her activities, Jane and Maura watching lovingly. She played quietly for a while, but she got restless eventually so they decided to start making dinner while Jane helped Lizzie taking a shower.

Lizzie was tired and therefore rather quiet during dinner, and Riley was dreading the fact that Alex was leaving tomorrow so she wasn't very talkative either. Dinner was quiet and quick. Maura clearly wasn't feeling well so Jane felt like the only one keeping everything together.

"Are you done, sweetie?" Jane asked Lizzie who was reluctantly taking a bite of her dessert.

Lizzie nodded and put her spoon down. "My tummy's full."

"Okay, put your bowl in the sink, please," Jane said as she stood up to clear away her dishes. She brushed Riley's hair back on her way and kissed Maura's head, disappointed not to be able to kiss her perfect lips.

A few hours later, Lizzie was tucked into bed and Riley had just said goodnight to her mothers, taking off to get to bed as well. Maura sat on the couch, her head resting against the back of it as Jane walked towards it with a cup of tea.

"It has honey in it, for your throat and stuff."

Maura smiled up at her wife and pulled on Jane's arm, inviting her to sit next to her on the couch. "Thank you, Jane."

Jane pressed her lips against Maura's temple and closed her eyes when she inhaled her wife's lovely scent. "You wanna go outside to watch the sunset?"

Maura sighed and took a careful sip of her hot tea. "The sun has already set, Jane. But no, I just want to stay here with you and go to bed after I finish my tea. I'll feel better tomorrow."

Jane hummed and relaxed against the back of the couch. "I hope so. I hate it when you're sick."

"I'm not sick. I'm just tired. A good night sleep will pull me through."

"Yes, and then I'll be able to kiss the living crap out of you again?"

Maura laughed and shifted to curl up into Jane's side, slowly sipping her tea. "Watch your language, babe," she whispered after a deep sigh.

"Sorry," Jane replied with a smirk. "But I'm still gonna kiss you tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it," Maura whispered.

The women were enjoying a peaceful sleep when Lizzie came walking through the bedroom door, stepping towards the bed where she placed a cold hand on Jane's shoulder. "Mama," she whispered, but Jane didn't hear her until the third 'mama'.

Jane opened her eyes and saw Lizzie standing next to the bed with a sleepy look on her face. "What's wrong, baby?" Jane whispered, careful not to wake Maura.

"Riley's crying, Mama," Lizzie whispered as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, no." Jane stood up and grabbed Lizzie's hand, leading her out of the bedroom so she wouldn't wake her mother who needed her sleep so badly. "Is she in her bedroom?"

"Yeah, I looked but she's sleeping."

"She's crying in her sleep?"

"Yah." Lizzie nodded and seemed scared.

Jane sighed. "I'm gonna go calm her down, okay? Just go back to your room, I'll come tuck you in later, is that alright?"

Lizzie nodded, looking truly confused and afraid. Jane smiled and kissed the girl's forehead. "It's gonna be okay, baby." She walked towards Riley's bedroom and heard soft whimpers coming from inside. They increased when Jane opened the door.

"Riley," Jane whispered, but Riley was indeed sleeping. Jane stepped next to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. She placed her hand on Riley's arm and squeezed softly. "Riley, honey, you gotta wake up. It's just a dream."

Riley didn't wake up and was squirming in her bed, whimpering loudly. "Riley!" Jane repeated a little louder. "Wake up, it's just a dream."

Suddenly Riley screamed and shot up, almost knocking Jane off the edge of the bed. She looked around the room with wide eyes, panting heavily. Jane cupped her cheek with one hand, trying to look into her eyes. "It's just a dream, honey. You're okay."

Riley didn't seem to listen and was still panting, not even fully awake. Jane wrapped her arms around the aching teenager and pulled her close as she rubbed her back. "It's just a dream, honey. Just a dream." When Riley's breathing slowed down, Jane gently pulled her back down on the bed, seeing that her eyes were closed again.

"That's right, just go back to sleep," Jane whispered softly as she soothingly stroked Riley's forehead, "You're okay, it's just a stupid dream. I'm here, we're all okay."

Riley's breathing slowed down and she snuggled back into the blankets, eliciting a sweet smile from Jane. She didn't fully wake up, so she would hopefully have a peaceful sleep for the rest of the night.

That wasn't the case for Lizzie, though. She was standing in the doorway, looking at her mother and sister with wide eyes. Jane sighed. "I thought I told you to go to your room, baby." She stood up from the bed and took Lizzie's hand, leading her back to her own room.

"Mama, why's Riley so sad?" Lizzie asked, climbing back into her bed.

Jane sighed and sat down on the edge of it, brushing Lizzie's curls back. "She had a bad dream."

"A scary one?"

"I think so, yeah. But she's sleeping again so she's gonna be fine."

"Riley's sad a lot," Lizzie said softly, facing her mother.

"Yeah, she is," Jane whispered with a sad smile, contemplating how much she should tell Lizzie. "Riley is… She's been through a lot. When she was little, there were a lot of people who weren't nice to her."

"That's stupid." Lizzie looked intently at Jane, eager to hear an explanation.

"Yeah, I know."

"Is Riley always gonna be sad?"

"No, honey." Jane smiled and stroked Lizzie's cheek with the back of her hand. "She's not always sad, she's happy too. She just has sad moments, so she needs to cry for a while."

"'Cause crying makes ya feel better," Lizzie stated as if that was crystal clear. "I don't like when Riley's sad."

Jane chuckled and wrapped her arms around the small girl, pulling her close into her as she kissed the top of her head. "Me neither."

"I wanna help Riley feel better, Mama," Lizzie said after a short moment of silence.

"Yeah," Jane whispered softly, "me too." She pulled away to look at her youngest daughter and smiled at her. "You are making her feel better, Liz. When you play with her, or when you laugh together and have fun, that's making Riley happy."

"Really?" Lizzie showed a big smile and looked at Jane with wide eyes that showed a happy sparkle.

"Yeah, baby." Jane laughed and rubbed Lizzie's back. "Really. We, your mom, you and me, we're making Riley happy. She's sad sometimes and she needs to cry sometimes, but we're helping her get better."

Lizzie nodded and listened intently to Jane's words. She straightened her back and smiled proudly. "We're gonna make Riley all better."

"Yeah." Jane smiled and wrapped her arms back around the girl. "We are."

She stayed silent for a moment and felt Lizzie snuggling into her side, closing her eyes as her thumb went back into her mouth. "C'mon, you need to go to sleep."

Lizzie nodded and allowed Jane to tuck her in. "Sleep well, baby." Jane kissed her daughter's forehead and brushed her hair back. "I love you."

"Night, Mama," Lizzie mumbled, already closing her eyes. "Love you too."


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Maura woke up and immediately noticed how her nose was stuffed. She sighed and sat up to grab a tissue from the nightstand, and felt that her head was feeling better, as well as her throat. She looked at her watch and saw that she'd slept for a good 11 hours this night.

"Maur," Jane whispered next to her, slightly waking up, "you okay?"

Maura smiled and leaned down to kiss Jane's forehead. "Yes, I'm fine. Go back to sleep, babe. It's still quite early."

Jane smiled and closed her eyes again, snuggling back into her pillow. It was nearly 9am, which wasn't that early, but they would be leaving tomorrow so Jane would want to sleep in. Maura stretched her muscles and got out of bed, thinking Lizzie would probably already be up by now.

She put on a robe and headed downstairs, but the living room was empty, as well as the bathroom. She slowly opened Lizzie's bedroom door, as quietly as possible, and Lizzie opened her eyes. "Mommy," she mumbled, her voice surprisingly hoarse and soft.

Maura stepped closer and saw that Lizzie's eyes were slightly watering and drooping. Her cheeks were red, but the rest of her face looked pale. "Are you feeling okay, my love?" Maura asked softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed, placing her hand on Lizzie's forehead to check her temperature. It was a little too high, but not high enough to be considered a fever. She'd be checking it with a thermometer later.

"My throat hurts, mommy," Lizzie said softly, slowly sitting up in bed with a slight cough.

"Oh, baby," Maura kissed Lizzie's forehead and brushed her curls back. She immediately felt bad. She had probably contaminated the little girl. Lizzie didn't have the best immune system right now, due to the fact that she was rather tired, and she probably caught Maura's cold. And where Maura's cold was quickly wearing off, Lizzie's just started and seemed worse. "Honey, can you open your mouth and stick out your tongue so Mommy can take a look at your throat?"

Lizzie nodded and did as asked. Maura turned on a light to see it better, and saw some alarming redness. She sighed and placed her hand on Lizzie's chin, guiding the girl to close her mouth.

"Is it sick?" Lizzie asked in her husky voice. Maura hated to admit it since her daughter was in pain, but she sounded quite adorable.

"Just a little." Maura smiled and caressed Lizzie's cheek for a moment. "But we're going to get you better, okay?"

Lizzie nodded and coughed, causing her to flinch in pain. Maura sighed and stroked the girl's back. "Cover your mouth when you cough, baby. You don't want to contaminate all of us."

"What's cont-… contem… what's that?"

"It means you get other people sick as well. Your body has a virus, and you can transfer that virus onto other people."

"A virus?" Lizzie's eyes went wide and she looked at her mother in fear.

Maura sighed deeply. Jane was right. She was a doctor and to her, that didn't sound scary, but it did to others. Especially to a five-year old. "No, just a... A few little cells are causing the pain in your throat. And if you cough, a few of those cells get out and can go to other people. So you have to cover your mouth, to catch them."

"Oh," Lizzie nodded and Maura was happy to see her face relaxing. "Okay."

"Come on, baby," Maura lifted Lizzie off the bed and hugged her close while she walked towards the kitchen. "I'm going to make you some warm milk with iodine, it'll make your throat feel better, okay?"

"Idine?" Lizzie asked, resting her head on Maura's shoulder.

"Iodine. Just a few drops, you won't taste it at all."

Lizzie nodded and wrapped her arm around her mother's neck to keep herself on Maura's hip. Maura smiled and kissed the top of Lizzie's head while she grabbed the milk from the fridge with one hand, her other arm occupied holding Lizzie. She filled a cup and put it in the microwave as she placed Lizzie on top of the kitchen counter to grab the iodine. "I'll be right back, baby."

She hurried upstairs to grab a first-aid kit, meeting Jane who was just walking down the hall towards the bathroom. "Everything alright?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I think Lizzie is having laryngitis. I'm getting her some milk and iodine to hopefully prevent it."

"Iodine?" Jane raised her eyebrows in confusion. "For strep throat?"

"Yes, it's a natural remedy. I'd rather don't see her taking antibiotics." Maura grabbed the kit and opened it to grab what she needed.

"Maur, it's just strep throat. She'll be fine."

Maura sighed and shook her head. "It's an infection, therefore it can cause a fever," she closed the kit and stepped back to put it away. "Fevers cause headaches, dehydration…."

"Maur," Jane interrupted her wife, placing her hands on Maura's upper arms, "she's gonna be fine. Her mother is the Chief Medical Examiner and a brilliant doctor."

"That didn't stop Riley from getting into the hospital in a life-threatening surgery," Maura whispered, looking into Jane's brown eyes.

"Maura…" Jane tilted her head and tucked a strand of loose hair behind the blonde's ear.

Maura shook her head and looked down at her feet. "I… I need to go give Lizzie this." She walked downstairs without looking at Jane, hurrying back to Lizzie who was still sitting on top of the counter, coughing loudly into her elbow.

Maura took the milk out of the microwave and added the iodine before giving the cup to Lizzie. "Here, drink this."

Lizzie took a careful sip but pulled away immediately. "It's too hot."

Maura smiled when Lizzie reached one arm up towards her mother, asking to be lift off the counter. Maura took the girl in her arms, careful not to spill the milk, and walked towards the living room where she sat down on the couch, taking her daughter in her lap. Lizzie immediately snuggled close, her small hands wrapped around the cup with warm milk.

Maura sighed and kissed the side of the girl's head. She gently took the cup from her when Lizzie broke out in a fit of coughs, resting her head on Maura's chest when they finally subsided.

The doctor felt tears burning in her eyes and was surprised she was getting so emotional. Yes, the guilt over Riley's ruptured appendix was still there and hurting her, but she'd thought that was in the past. She was a doctor, and a rather brilliant one. Even though she normally worked on dead people and didn't deal with living patients at all, she was still a good doctor. She should be able to take care of her children. She knew exactly what was wrong with Lizzie, she could identify the exact virus, bacteria and everything else, and it frustrated her that she couldn't take it away. She wanted to make it better. She was a doctor, and yet her children still got sick. Irony had never been the blonde's strength.

Maybe she should've given them more vitamin C. Make Lizzie have orange juice in stead of lemonade. God, why did she allow her to have lemonade? She should've made sure Lizzie went to bed on time. It doesn't matter if they're on vacation, five-year olds need their sleep, otherwise their immune system drops. She should've made Lizzie eat all of her vegetables yesterday. Yes, the girl hated broccoli and Maura didn't want to get into a fight with her at the time, but it was her responsibility to make the girls eat healthy.

Lizzie took the milk from Maura's hands and took a careful sip. Maura smiled and brushed the girl's hair back. "Does it taste good?"

"Hm hm," Lizzie nodded.

Suddenly Riley walked out of her bedroom, putting on her shoes while she hurried towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Maura asked her.

"Alex."

"Breakfast first, Riley."

"Mom, he's leaving today!" Riley let her shoulders drop and looked at her mother with a pleading look.

"It's barely nine thirty. You're not leaving without a proper breakfast. It's the most important…"

"-meal of the day. Yeah, yeah, I know." Riley grunted and threw her head back as she hurried towards the kitchen.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady," Maura said in a strict tone.

"What? I'm having breakfast, aren't I?"

Maura put Lizzie next to her on the couch and stood up herself, walking towards Riley as she put her hands on her hips. "Riley, if you continue like this, you're not seeing Alex at all today. You are going to have a proper breakfast and then you can go out."

Riley nodded and stayed quiet, knowing the tone in Maura's voice meant business. Maura sighed and started to make some coffee for herself and Jane while Riley pour herself some cereal. "And good morning," Maura said, looking sideways at Riley.

"Good morning," Riley mumbled back while she grabbed a spoon from a kitchen drawer. A light cough from the girl immediately alarmed the doctor.

"Riley? Is your throat hurting?"

"What?"

"You coughed. Is your throat hurting?"

"Yeah, a little but it's not bad," Riley smiled and brought a spoonful of cereal to her mouth, but Maura stopped her.

"Let me see," she said, placing her fingers on Riley's chin.

"What? No! What?"

"Let me check your throat, honey."

Riley reluctantly opened her mouth and Maura turned the girl towards the light to look into the back of her throat. There was some redness, but Lizzie's throat looked worse. "Have some tea with honey to prevent the coughs."

"I feel fine, Mom," Riley said with a smile, hoping to convince her mother.

"I know, but your sister is getting sick and I don't want you to get sick as well." Maura smiled at her oldest daughter and brushed her brown hair back.

"You alright Lizzie?" Riley looked at her sister on the couch who was slowly drinking her milk.

"My throat hurts," Lizzie answered, looking up at her sister.

"Yeah, you sound like Ma," Riley chuckled at Lizzie's hoarse voice and grabbed the honey from the cabinet.

Lizzie smiled and seemed to like that, eliciting a sweet laugh from Maura. Riley sighed and sipped her hot tea. "Mom? Are you mad at me?"

Maura looked at her oldest daughter and saw regret in her blue eyes. "No, honey. You know you can't talk to me like that, and you have to have breakfast, right?"

"I know, I'm sorry." 

"Thank you," Maura kissed Riley's forehead before filling a mug with coffee, leaving the pot filled for Jane.

She walked back to the couch where Lizzie had finished her milk. She gently took the cup from Lizzie to put in on the coffee table. As she sat down, Lizzie snuggled into her, laying her head in her mother's lap after a few coughs. Maura smiled and stroked Lizzie's forehead, looking down at the sleepy girl. "It'll get better, honey."

Lizzie nodded and snuggled in to get comfortable. "When?" she asked softly.

Maura sighed deeply after taking a sip of her coffee. "I don't know."

"I don't like it," Lizzie said in a whining tone.

"I know, my love. Me neither."

After a few minutes of silence, Riley dropped her bowl and spoon into the sink and hurried towards Maura, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye, honey. Say goodbye to Alex from me, okay?"

"I think we'll stop by later," Riley said over her shoulder.

Maura smiled to herself, seeing how eager Riley was to see Alex. They claimed to be just friends, but Maura knew that look on her daughter's face. If he was just a friend, he was a very, very good friend. "Bye, love."

She kept making soft, soothing strokes along Lizzie's brow to her hairline, feeling the girl snuggling further into her lap. "Would you like some breakfast, baby?" Maura asked softly.

"No," Lizzie answered, shaking her head.

"No?" Maura asked surprised. Lizzie never turned down a meal.

Lizzie shook her head and moved to sit in Maura's lap, snuggling in her mother's warm arms. "My tummy's not hungry."

"Does your stomach hurt, sweetie?" Maura asked as she rubbed Lizzie's back, resting her chin on top of the girl's head.

Lizzie shrugged. "I dunno."

"You don't know?" Maura smiled down at her daughter and softly rubbed her belly. "Do you feel nauseous?"

"I dunno."

Maura sighed and pulled her daughter close. "We'll have breakfast when your mama wakes up, okay?"

Lizzie nodded and closed her eyes, relaxing in her mother's lap, but hunching when she coughed again. Maura was just about to grab the girl some cough drops when Jane came walking downstairs. "Oh Jane, can you please grab some cough drops from the kitchen cabinet, please?"

"Yeah," Jane looked at her wife and daughter with a worried expression. "Everything alright?"

Maura nodded and thanked Jane when she handed her the box. "Here baby, take these. They'll help make your throat feel better."

Lizzie sucked on a drop and furrowed her brow. "Gross," she mumbled.

"I know," Jane smirked and sat next to the two on the couch, "they're bad aren't they?"

Lizzie nodded and reached her arms towards Jane, shifting to her other mother's lap. Jane smiled and took the girl in her arms, kissing the top of her head.

"My baby," Maura whispered, smoothing Lizzie's blonde curls. She smiled at her wife and pressed her lips against Jane's cheek, continuing a trail of kisses towards the corner of her mouth before capturing the brunette's lips in a loving kiss.

"What about your cold?" Jane whispered into her wife's mouth, showing a light smirk as she looked deeply into hazel eyes.

"If I infected Lizzie, I probably infected you already as well," Maura answered in a soft whisper. "Why would I torture myself and keep myself from kissing you for no reason?"

Jane smiled and kissed Maura's lips again, careful not to let it deepen too much, aware of the five-year old in her lap. "I love you," she whispered with sparkling eyes. "So very much."

"I love you too, Jane," Maura whispered in response before turning her attention towards Lizzie who started to cough loudly. Maura furrowed her brow, feeling her daughter's uneasiness. She hated this. Seeing her babies in pain caused her the worst kind of pain.

When Lizzie's coughs faded, she sat up on her knees in Jane's lap, and wrapped her small arms around her mother's neck. "Mama?" she asked softly.

"Hm?" Jane rubbed Lizzie's back and kissed the side of the girl's head.

"Are you ever gonna go away?"

"What do you mean, baby?"

"I don't want you and Mommy to go away too," she whispered quietly into the crook of Jane's neck. "I don't wanna miss you too."

"Oh, my love," Maura whispered, finally realizing what Lizzie meant.

"You don't have to miss us, Lizzie," Jane replied as she pulled her youngest daughter close. "We're not going anywhere. We're right here."

"But Mommy and Daddy said so too."

Maura rested her elbow on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Lizzie was still so young. Losing her parents at such a young age had caused a fear that would probably be lingering in the girl for a long time. She would never get rid of the fear that the people she loved would be harshly yanked away from her. Maura was thankful to see that Lizzie wasn't usually hesitant to open up and let people love her, but it came at a price. She was scared. Scared to lose them.

"I know, and I can't promise nothing bad will happen to Mommy or me," Jane said, cupping Lizzie's cheek to look at the girl, "but I can promise you that we'll always, always love you a whole lot, and that we'll try our best to stay with you for the rest of our lives. Okay?"

Lizzie nodded and looked at her mother with wide eyes and a fascinated look on her young face. There were no tears, but Maura saw pain and grief in her light brown eyes. It was the worst kind of pain. Lizzie had been with them for a while, and had recently started to realize she truly loved her mothers. She only recently developed the true affection a child can feel for its mother, and that came with a great fear.

It made Maura worry. What if Lizzie could never to love without fear again? What if, for the rest of Lizzie's live, loving someone always came with the crippling fear of losing that someone? Of course, Maura was afraid of losing Jane, but it wasn't the same. Lizzie's fear came from experience. Lizzie's fear came from a horrible, true memory. Maura didn't like questions that started with 'what if', but she couldn't help herself. What if her babies would never lose their fear?

"You don't have to be afraid, honey," Maura whispered, sweetly stroking Lizzie's hair. "We're here. You can love us without fear."

Lizzie didn't understand what that meant but she nodded anyway. Maura smiled a sad smile and kissed Lizzie's temple as the girl snuggled closely into Jane's arms again. "Breakfast?" Maura asked softly, meeting with her wife's dark brown eyes.

Jane nodded and Maura saw pain in those deep eyes. She saw empathy and hurt for their young daughter and she knew Jane had the same concerns as herself. She wanted to say Lizzie would be fine, but she wasn't sure about that. There was a lot of pain ahead of them. The only thing Maura knew for sure was that Jane and herself had enough love to carry their daughters through whatever came their way.


	35. Chapter 34

_A/N Here it is, the last chapter of this story. I started writing a third part of these series, but I don't know if the updates will be as frequent as this story. I'm still taking suggestions for the next story though! What would you like to read? _

_Thank you all so, so much for reading this story, for your kind words and support! It means the world to me that there are people out there reading my story. This story is very close to my heart and very personal and I can never thank you enough. _

_I hope to see you all at the next story about this lovely family! _

**Chapter 34**

"Did you finish packing, honey?" Jane walked towards Riley on the porch and saw that her daughter was staring at the ocean, her expression blank, and her eyes empty.

"Hm?"

Jane chuckled and sat down in a chair next to Riley. "You okay?"

Riley finally tore her attention away from the ocean and smiled at her mother. "Yeah."

"Sucks to say goodbye to someone," Jane said softly, not wanting to force Riley into talking about something she didn't want to get into. "And it sucks to leave a place you've been having fun at."

Riley didn't reply and just nodded, turning to look into the distance again. Jane smiled. "On the bright side, you'll get to see Sarah again in a few days. And your grandma will be hugging you so hard you'll see stars, but she's probably made you something delicious."

"I hope it's cookies," Riley said with a smile. "Grandma makes the best chocolate chip cookies."

Jane chuckled. "She does. Just don't tell your mom you had 'em."

"I can't lie to Mom," Riley smiled shyly.

"Oh, and you can to me?"

"No," Riley giggled as Jane playfully tickled her sides. "I finally have awesome parents, I'm not gonna screw that up by lying."

"Watch your language, Riley," Maura said sternly as she walked up behind Jane, placing her hands on her wife's shoulders.

"How does Mom always know when I say something bad?"

Jane laughed and shrugged. "It's a gift."

Maura chuckled and moved to kiss the top of Riley's head. "You were saying something very nice, you just used inappropriate language."

Jane smirked and sighed deeply when Maura moved her hands back on Jane's shoulders, massaging them softly. "How's Lizzie?"

Maura sighed. "Sleeping. She has a fever, around 100 degrees. I gave her some Penadol, it should be dropping soon."

"Poor thing." Lizzie had strep throat, and unfortunately, that came with a fever. She had been sick for the last day and a half. Maura was recovering from her cold, but Jane had noticed Riley was sniffling as well. There was no way to prevent this from spreading through the family. So far, Jane was feeling fine, but all she could do was hope she wouldn't catch it and Lizzie would get better soon.

"Did you finish packing, Jane?" Maura asked, moving her hands towards Jane's chest, softly caressing the skin there. "We're leaving early tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm almost done."

"Almost?"

Jane sighed and smirked at Riley who was laughing to herself. "Am I ever late?"

"No, but you do everything at the last minute and it makes me uncomfortable." Maura leaned down and rested her cheek against Jane's temple, her arms wrapping around her wife's chest.

"But you're so cute when you're uncomfortable," Jane said with a smirk, turning her head to kiss Maura's lips.

"Okay, I'm gonna go." Riley wrinkled her nose and stood up from her chair.

"Oh no, we'll stop," Maura said, untangling herself from Jane, not wanting to make Riley uncomfortable.

"No, it's fine. I was gonna go find something to eat anyway. I'm hungry."

Riley smiled and Maura placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "There's fruit in the kitchen, we need to eat that before we leave tomorrow."

"All of it?"

"Just two mangos and a few bananas." Maura smiled and brushed Riley's hair back before she walked inside.

"C'mere," Jane said as she pulled Maura's arms, guiding her down into her lap. She felt her wife's arms wrapping around her neck and smiled up at the beautiful blonde.

Maura let out a soft laugh and pressed her lips against Jane's in a loving kiss. She traced Jane's bottom lip with her tongue and the kiss deepened quickly, eliciting a soft moan from both women. When they broke the kiss, Maura smiled into Jane's mouth and tangled her fingers in Jane's dark curls.

"I love you," she whispered quietly.

"I love you too," Jane replied in her husky voice. "You gorgeous creature."

Maura smiled again and kissed her wife's lips before looking over Jane's head to check on Riley. Jane did the same, turning her head to see Riley standing in the kitchen with her back to her mothers, cutting up a mango. "She's getting a cold, isn't she?"

Maura sighed and nodded. "I think so, yes."

"God, pretty soon we'll have two sick kids." Jane kissed Maura's jaw and sighed deeply.

"Riley could just be having a cold, it's too soon to tell if it'll get worse."

"I hate it when they're sick. Or when you are sick."

Maura kissed Jane's lips again and tightened her arms around the brunette's neck. "Me too."

"Yeah but you love it when they're all cuddly and tired."

"I can't deny that I love their snuggles and I like to have them in my arms, but I definitely hate it to see them in pain, Jane."

Jane reached up to trace Maura's cheek and looked deeply into her gorgeous hazel eyes. "I know. She's gonna be alright though, isn't she?"

"Oh yes, it's just strep throat. If her fever drops, I'm fairly certain she'll be fine."

Jane nodded and wrapped her arms tighter around Maura's waist, placing lazy kisses along the blonde's collarbone and neck. "This vacation was amazing," she whispered after placing a kiss under Maura's ear.

Maura hummed. "It really was, wasn't it?"

Jane thought back about the past two weeks. It really had been an amazing and much-needed vacation. Riley had a breakdown and pulled herself back together, Jane and Maura finally had a fight and made up, Lizzie was starting to truly feel her grief and the love for her mothers and Riley met a very good friend who might turn into something more eventually. A lot happened, but Jane was grateful for it. She knew Riley's breakdowns, Lizzie's tears and their fights had to happen. It only made them grow stronger.

Jane smiled when she thought about their trip to Disney-land and how Lizzie and Riley had the time of their lives, even though Riley tried to be cool like any other teenager. She loved all of it and Jane knew it. She smiled even brighter when she thought about their almost campout in the car during the thunderstorm and how Lizzie had clung to Maura in fear. Her smile fell when she remembered her father stopping by. She was pretty sure he wasn't drunk and didn't mean to hurt Riley, but he did anyway. Riley had been amazingly strong about the whole thing. She cried, she talked, she cried some more and then she picked herself up again. The girl had grown so much in the past year, Jane barely recognized her sometimes. She wasn't the shy, uncomfortable teenager that first got into their home anymore. She was slowly becoming a young woman, cheerful, funny, sweet, and caring and even though she was still their little girl and desperately needed her mothers' comfort and love, Jane loved to see her growing up and getting stronger. She was beyond proud of their oldest daughter.

"What are you thinking about, babe?" Maura asked softly, looking at Jane with adoration and love.

Jane shrugged. "About the past two weeks. A lot happened."

"Well, not that much, has it? I mean, we barely left the beach except for Disney-land, Orlando and some shopping."

"No, I mean… We all worked through some stuff."

Maura smiled and caressed Jane's cheek as she looked at her wife. "I guess that's true. Although I'm a little worried about Lizzie."

"Because she's sick?"

"No. Well, yes, that too, but about the way she asks us if we're going to die."

"She's asked us twice now…" Jane said as she stared at the ocean, thinking about yesterday and the night in the car after Disney-land.

"Yes. I think… She's only now understanding that she loves us, and now she's afraid that love comes with pain because that's what she experienced in the past."

Jane hummed as she thought about Maura's words. Could that really happen? Lizzie was still so young. She was only five; did she really understand the depth of losing her parents? Jane was afraid she did. The girl was traumatized, no matter her age.

"She's young," Jane whispered. "Does she really understand all of it?"

"All she knows is that she loved her parents very much and that they are gone now. She probably feels abandoned, left alone. I don't think she realizes the extent of it, but you can't be too young to feel pain, unfortunately."

"I'm so happy we took her in," Jane whispered softly, thinking back to the day she found Lizzie at the crime scene where her parents were killed. The decision to bring Lizzie home with them was one of the best decisions they'd ever made. "I don't want to think about what happened if we didn't take her."

"Foster care," Maura said in a sad tone, kissing Jane's temple.

"Hmm, I like to think we're better than the foster system."

"We are." Maura smiled and pressed her lips against her wife's. "So much better."

"Because of them, though." Jane brushed Maura's hair back over her shoulder and kissed the skin that appeared.

Maura laughed and cupped Jane's face to capture her lips in a loving kiss. "Oh, I love you my mushy detective," she said with a big smile.

Before Jane could return her wife's heartfelt love, Riley's voice interrupted them. "Mom! Can I have an apple too?"

"No honey, we have to safe those for the trip tomorrow," Maura called back, looking over at Riley in the kitchen. "There are some crackers in the cabinet if you're hungry."

Riley nodded and reached for them, along with the jar of peanut butter. Maura flinched at her daughter's choice, eliciting a sweet laugh from Jane. "Let her have some, Maur. It's the last day."

"I know." Maura sighed and rested her cheek against Jane's temple again. "She needs to put on weight."

"She did gain some, didn't she?" Jane asked, looking over her shoulder at Riley in the kitchen, seeing that she had gained some much-needed curves. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Yes, but she's still underweight."

"More peanut butter is a way to fix that."

"There are healthier ways to put on weight, Jane," Maura said with a smile.

"Of course there are." Jane captured Maura's lips in another kiss but broke it when she heard light footsteps walking towards them.

"Mommy?" Lizzie asked, her voice hoarse and weak.

"Hey, baby," Jane greeted her youngest daughter. "How are you feeling?"

"My throat and head's hurt." Lizzie pouted and stood in front of Jane who sweetly brushed the girl's hair back.

"You have to eat something," Maura said after kissing Lizzie's forehead. "I'll prepare some fruit."

Lizzie nodded and reached her arms towards Jane who gladly took the girl in her lap. She kissed Lizzie's blonde curls and wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach. "You'll feel better soon, baby," Jane said softly.

"Are we gonna go on the plane again tomorrow?" Lizzie asked, not really listening to Jane's words.

"Yeah." Jane smiled when she thought about how Lizzie was quite scared the first time. "But now it's not so scary anymore 'cause you've already been on one."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Lizzie hummed and seemed happy to hear that, eliciting a sweet laugh from Jane. "Is your stuff packed already?"

Lizzie nodded. "Mommy helped. But not everything yet 'cause I need my toothbrush and Stevie tonight."

"Yeah, you need to safe those to pack tomorrow."

Lizzie sighed and turned sideways in Jane's lap, resting her head on her mother's chest. "I don't wanna go home."

"I know baby," Jane said after a deep sigh. "We all wanna stay, but we're gonna go home. We're gonna go see Grandma tomorrow." She pulled back and smiled at Lizzie who smiled up at her mother.

"Oh yeah." She seemed happy to know that fact and rested her head back on her mother's chest after coughing loudly, finding comfort and peace in Jane's strong arms.

It wasn't until that evening that everything was packed. Lizzie was feeling a little better, fortunately, and Riley was looking forward to going home. Jane smiled at the sight of Riley and Lizzie on the couch, playing a card game about dinosaurs. She chuckled when Lizzie squealed and pointed Riley out on cheating.

"She has that from you, you know," Maura said with a smile, stepping closer to her wife. "Cheating."

"I don't cheat." Jane smirked and turned to peck Maura's lips.

"Oh, yes you do. You always cheat in games."

"We never play games."

Maura laughed and wrapped her arm around Jane's waist, leaning into her side as she watched their girls on the couch. "No, because you cheat."

Jane hummed and kissed Maura's temple. "Lizzie is getting better. Her fever's dropped."

"Yes, thank God." She smiled and leaned further into Jane's side. "Let's just hope Riley keeps just having a cold."

Jane turned her head to look at her wife and traced Maura's cheekbone with her thumb, cupping her face. "How's your cold?"

Maura smiled up at her wife, love and adoration showing in her eyes. "Good. Just a runny nose, that's all."

"Nice." Jane smirked and leaned forward to capture Maura's lips in a loving kiss. She stared into her eyes for a few seconds before laughing softly, kissing her lips again and looking back to Riley and Lizzie. "Everything's gonna be alright, isn't it?"

Maura smiled and kissed the bottom of Jane's jaw. "Yes, it is."

"I think Riley and Alex make a cute couple."

"Look at that," Maura whispered, playfully pinching Jane's side, "finally a boy that's good enough according to Jane Rizzoli."

"No one's good enough for my girl." Jane smirked and smiled when Riley laughed out loud about something Lizzie said. "But he comes close."

"I agree."

"And Lizzie's gonna get better," Jane continued, her voice soft and loving. "She's gonna start first grade after summer… Riley's gonna pass math, we're going back to work…" she sighed deeply and looked at Maura, only now seeing that the blonde was staring intently at her. "Everything's gonna be alright."

Maura cupped Jane's face and kissed her lips. "Yes it is. We'll make it alright. Together."

Jane smiled and wrapped her arms around her wife, pulling her into a tight hug. Maura's arms wrapped around Jane's neck, accepting the loving hug. Jane smiled to herself. This was her home. Home isn't a house or a place. It's Riley and Lizzie playing cheerfully, along with her wife's warm arms and loving heart. This is home. This is home and Jane never wanted to leave.


	36. Final Author's Note

**The third part of this story is up! It's called 'Family is forever'. **

**I don't know if I'll be able to upload as frequently as this story, but I'll try my best! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading and supporting these stories. Hope to see you at 'Family is forever'! **


End file.
